


Online friends

by VikingShadows



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: April and Donnie being best friends, Brotherhood, Brotherly Fluff, Disaster Twins, Donnie and April centric, Family Fluff, No shipping, Support, how donnie and april became friends the fanfiction, just friendships, siblinghood, space buddies, t-cest stay away, this is just a dorky friendship fluff piece
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27405022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VikingShadows/pseuds/VikingShadows
Summary: After finally giving the boys a phone each, a young Donatello finds a friend on a Jupiter Jim fan forum.After chatting every day and writing Jupiter Jim fanfictions for each other, Captain_Space (April) wants to meet.Donnie panics.--The "How April met the turtle boys" the fanfiction. Just a fluffy friendship piece for your rainy day. I like feel-good stories so, well, here you go.FYI this pretty Donnie, April and Leo centric though.--Some chapters has a little drawing at the end! (Not all of them though.)
Relationships: Donatello & April O'Neil (TMNT), Donatello & Leonardo (TMNT), Donatello & Raphael (TMNT), Leonardo & April O'Neil (TMNT)
Comments: 82
Kudos: 174





	1. THE.ONE.RULE

**Author's Note:**

> Turtle tots! This is my first rotTMNT fanfiction, please be gentle!

Donnie loved technology. It was an extension of himself! There, in the lair, he was the second oldest _mutant turtle_ brother. But on the internet? He was Bootyyyshaker9000, just a normal tween with a normal home.

And his father finally thought they were old enough to have their own phones! Or, rather, Splinter had been persuaded by the constant nagging by his four sons. And after a wonderfully elaborate plan (made by Leo) to convince him that they were mature and responsible enough - Pops had agreed with only ONE. SINGLE. CONDITION. if this condition was broken, you would lose your rights to engage online.. FOREVER.

This condition was simple: Be careful with your identities. Which meant; no photos. No personal information. Not your phone number. Not your real name, where you live or anything that could disclose where they are.

_Fair enough._

Leo and raph mostly used their online life to watch videos and follow people they admired. They were the family's source of finding good shows to watch together. Everything from movies, to cartoons to home makeovers (that would inspire the turtle tweens to redecorate) and other fun things they could do/watch/read together.  
Leo would also find interest in watching DIY videos and raph, who was gaining an interest in workouts in this time of his life, would look up various exercises. 

Mikey had just discovered the beauty of dramaticized cooking shows - where chefs fought and battled against time to make elaborate cakes, french cuisine and swedish bakery.  
Undoubtfully shaping the young artist's interest in cooking forever.

Donnie, however, did all of the above and more.

The internet was a vast library of infinite knowledge. He would read and read until his eyes went sore at midnight. But, he was a typical 10 year old with a hyperfixation on Jupiter Jim like his brothers, too. And if he wasn't reading up on the encyclopedia on whatever had caught his interest lately, he would hop around the web for J.J. trivia. Landing upon a website for fans to chat, draw and write fanfiction. With the discovery of this, Jupiter Jim suddenly had more content to devour. Amazing non-canon adventures would be his bedtime reading, sometimes even reading well written ones aloud for his brothers.

On this website, he met Captain_space. 

It was a happenstance, really. He had read a post by Captain_Space and had agreed wholeheartedly with them.   
However, there was a nitwit that aggressively disagreed in he comments bellow. And Donnie had done the only right thing - and replied about how dumb they were for disagreeing. Because clearly, Captain_Space was correct.

Donnie and Captain_space started a private DM.

The DM turned into hours of chatting, goofing, sending J.J. memes and gifs to one another. Donnie even shared his favourite theories, and Captain_Space was bewildered with excitement.  
It had been fun, so much fun. He didn't want to say goodnight when the time came.

Donnie had never had a friend before.  
But it felt good. It felt exciting. 

Her real name was April. And because she had shared that with him, he felt obliged to share his. He considered giving a false name, but just his first name couldn't be too bad, right?

_Donnie, short for Donatello._

He knew he promised his dad not to. But Splinter didn't know how the internet worked these days! Maybe back in his days you weren't supposed to share anything, but nowadays it was the first thing you did!  
Real name on your profile, your face as your icon, which state you lived in, what all your favourite things were, etc etc.

_Pops was just out of touch._

Donnie decided not to tell anybody about her though. A part of him wanted to share her with his brothers. Everything was just twice as fun if the guys were in on it too and he knew April would love them (she seemed kinda lonely).  
But honestly? another part of him knew that if he shared his friendship with her, Splinter would find out. And he would say that a close friendship like that would end in tears...  
Because how could he keep it up?

Two months, talking every day during her spring break, she sent selfies to him doing whatever it was she was doing at the time. Alone. She was never with anybody. Donnie could spot her parents in the background sometimes. But mostly it just seemed like he was the one she was hanging out with - even outside.  
  
That's what people did, friends did, they did that. Sent selfies, hung out. Things he could never do with her.  
  
All he could send photos of was his bed or pictures of his food. Nothing to give away that he lived in a sewer or that he was a mutant. Only normal looking things.

Donnie could sense her disappointment and curiosity of why he couldn't- nay, wouldn't send selfies back.   
She had jokingly asked if he was a creepy adult.

**Bootyyyshaker9000:** No! Gosh no! I'm not! I'm 10! If anything, you're older than me!  
  
 **April:** haha, yeah, no I believe you. It's just, y'know? A little weird. I'm being really open about who I am and stuff. Makes me curious what keeps you from it?  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** um.. Look, April. My dad doesn't want me to, okay? He's really worried about creeps.  
  
 **April:** Cant you show him my video messages and selfies tho?  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** No! I'm not allowed to have online friends.  
  
 **April:** What? Why?  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** it's complicated. I just can't, okay..?  
  
 **April:** Your dad sounds kinda strict Don.  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** I guess? He has his reasons.  
  
 **April:** is it... Your mom?  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** I don't have a mom.

 **April:** No, I know, but is that why?

 _That was a can of worms not even Donnie wanted to touch. Technically, sure, he had one. But she was probably a turtle. A turtle that was not mutated and could not speak to him._  
 _On another technicality, Splinter wasn't really his biological dad either. He considered Splinter his father all the same though. Just as he considered his brothers as family. Family was not by blood, after all._  
  
 _But what could he say to April? He didn't want to lie, she was too perceptive and he'd eventually trip on himself trying to keep up._  
 _And it would end in tears... Perhaps it was better to give a non disclosing truth._  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** Uhh.. No. Look, dad's just really uneasy about the internet. He's just protective. I don't want him to find out I'm talking to a girl. He'd take my phone away.

 **April:** Not gonna lie, still sounds weird. And.. I don't want to assume things, but isn't that a little abusive?  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** No! Ugh, he's the greatest dad in the world! Look, he just... Doesn't get it.

 **April:** Yeah, ok. Sorry. 

**Bootyyyshaker9000:** it's ok. I get that you're worried about me lying. But if I take selfies and send'em, he's going to ask why I take selfies.  
  
 **April:** uuhh, 'cause your a vain boy? ;P  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** Harr harr. And it's _you're._ ;)  
  
 **April:** lol.  
  
 **April:** But seriously. My parents know about you. And they are worried of me sending selfies to you but you're not.

_Oh no. She talked about him to her parents? That can't be good. She's talking about him - in normal circumstances that would be good! A progression in a friendship!  
But Donnie was not a normal boy.   
And this friendship was escalating into territories that would break THE. ONE. RULE._

**April:** If you can't send pictures, how about a call?  
  
 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** a call?

 **April:** Yeah! A phone call! :D Your dad can't be around all the time and everywhere, right?

 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** right.

_THE. ONE. RULE._

**Bootyyyshaker9000:** Sure. Okay! Uh, now?

 **April:** Sure! if you can?

 **Bootyyyshaker9000:** Sure... uuhh... Let me just go somewhere else.

 **April:** *excited red panda gif* :D!!!!

Donnie sat still on his bed in his purple hoodie, his purple bandana and big square glasses.   
What was he supposed to do now?  
April was his friend, his first and only friend! And honestly? April was so cool and great in every aspect that Donnie considered her an exceptional best friend too.

He wanted to keep her in his life. She just... Got him.   
Donnie could vent about something that bothered him and April would just understand. Sometimes she even had solutions he never even considered.   
He knew he would lose her if he couldn't provide some evidence of who he was.

He gulped down his anxieties and nonchalantly wandered out towards the sewers. 

His brothers were playing video games - Pipe man. A red little guy jumping up and down pipes, fighting little fungus monsters.   
Seemed ironically fitting for them, he thought.

Splinter was in the kitchen. From what Donnie could tell, he had just gotten there and wasn't done thinking about what they should eat.

Buying groceries wasn't easy. 

First of all, they didn't really have any money. So a lot of their stuff were from charities or people online that gave away things in exchange of it being picked up.

Second of all, disguises were... Not difficult but it came with rehearsal of a lie and keeping your head under a cap, inside your hoodie, shielded by a scarf (yes, even in the choking dry heat of summer).  
  
Their father would save the money for important things - like medicine. Things you couldn't get for free. So if they could, they wouldn't waste money on food. A lot of things came from the dumpsters.

Donnie and his brother's didn't mind. They could all tell Splinter felt guilty about their situation and didn't want to make it worse for him. They put on brave faces and they would do their best to keep their chins up for any food.

Sometimes Donnie wondered if that's why Mikey was so cheery? The youngest had always had a knack for optimism and seeing the bright side of things.  
To mikey, limited food was just another way to get creative! ... Maybe that was why he liked cooking shows so much? Maybe his little brother wanted to learn all the ways you could use food to get the most out of it.

It made Donnie feel like he had to do better, too. He was the smart one after all. He would get all the knowledge he could, he would support them too. He was a big brother, through and thru.

He was going to be brave!

He didn't feel brave in the sewer with his phone.

He felt like he was betraying his dad. His green little thumb hovering over April's profile on their chat.  
Just one button away and he'd talk with April, live, for the first time.

He shouldn't.

He couldn't.

it was against the ONE. SINGLE. RULE.

Donatello let out a deep, heavy sigh of defeat. He couldn't do it. His dad would be crushed. And what if he found out Donnie had done this?  
What if he was heard? What if April didn't think he sounded enough like... well, a ten year old boy? He did, right? He sounded ten.  
But what if she didn't think so? What if this meant she wanted more? A photo? He couldn't.

He just... _couldn't._

"I'm sorry April." He whispered to her profile picture of a Jupiter Jim meme.

And some pipe next to him let out a whistling puff of steam. Donnie yelped and began juggling his phone in his hands, nearly tripping and dropping it into the sewer waters.   
Managing to grab it just!

_BLIP!_

"OhNo."

April picked up right away. "DONNIE?" Her voice was squeaky and excited, just like in the videos she sent.

"Ah- erm- h-hi!" He fumbled, keeping the phone near his face. "I- Uh- Hello!"

"Aaaawwh! You sound so cute Don!" She squealed. "I can't believe we're finally talking!"

He smiled, looking around in the sewers in fear that his family might hear him. He hushed his voice. "S-so do you, um, believe me now? I'm real?"

"Yeah! uh, why do you sound so scared?"

"Erm- I uh, I don't want my dad to hear me is all."

There was a small pause.

"Dude, are you sure you're okay? I know I've said it before but your dad sounds really strict. You can't talk to people on the phone or in text? How would you talk to your friends then?"

"He's really not that strict, just... Y'know? And besides, you're kind of.. sort of... My only friend?"

"Wh- really? Does he not let you have friends?"

What could he do to convince her? Everything he said came out wrong. He didn't want her to think his dad was a bad dad! He did his best! For a mutant rat with four sons, he did try his best!

But that question she asked.   
Technically, he didn't.  
And he didn't want to lie, but he couldn't tell the truth.

So more half-truths.

"it's more that I can't have friends. April."

Another pause from April.  
Donnie bit his lip. At times like this he would have turned to his phone and asked April for an advice or moral support.  
But this was April. On the phone. Oh gosh he was talking to April!   
It was so exciting and scary and forbidden all at the same time!

He liked it.

"That doesn't sound very... Is he mean to you?"

He didn't like it anymore. "no."

"Promise? You can talk to me Don." Her voice was soft and sweet, like the older sister he never had but always wanted.  
Not that Raph or his younger brothers weren't good enough, they were! really! But there was something about April as a sister that made him feel at ease.

"I-I know. But it's fine, really. I just can't tell you why. But I'm not in danger or anything. And I'm not covering up for my dad just because I love him, either."

"Promise?"

"I swear it. I galaxy swear it." He held up his hand, even if she couldn't see it.

"Alright... Well, it's great to hear your voice Donnie." He could practically hear her smile those words out.

He sat down and curled up his knees into his hoodie, watching the stream of green water beside him gently go past.

"What's that noise anyway? Are you outside?"

"Huh? Oh, no, it's just the sewer- erk- I mean, the, uh, yes! I am outside!"

"Sewer??"

"No, no! I meant steamer! A- uh- Im in a laundry room!" He smacked his face.

"Uh, o-kay?" April chuckled. "That's where you go for your dad not to hear you?"

"Ugh, April. c'mon."

"Sorry. I'll drop it." For now she did, but Donatello was sure it was only for now. "So, did you see that video I sent you? What did you think?"

"Oh! the review! Yeah it was good, though he keep confusing his subjective opinion with objective. So it's not so much a technical review as it is more a ramble of opinion masked as factual!"

April laughed.  
Donnie smiled widely.

He made her laugh! He was hearing her laugh! Live! 

it wasn't just a L.O.L, it was a real laugh, full of life and spirit.  
He was just like a regular boy now, hanging out with a friend on the phone.

Even if he was in a sewer and she was sprawled on her bed.

April was the coolest person in the entire world (next to his family of course.)

"Purpleeee?" He heard his father's voice echo in the sewers. "Puuuuuuurpleeee?"  
"DONNIEE! POPS SAYS IT'S DINNER!!"

Donnie scrambled up to his feet. "I-I gotta go April!" He whispered. "See ya later!"

"Lets hang out soon okay?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Maybe in a park?"

"Sure, yeah, I gotta dash." 

_wait what did she say?_

"Cool! Looking forward to it! talk to you later!"

"uh-"

she hung up.

He stared at his phone. At April's profile. She messaged a happy smile and a purple heart.  
  
 _ **April:** Have a nice dinner Don! It was great talking with you!_

He shoved his phone into his pocket and ran back to where Raphael and his dad were looking around.

"HIGUYSIAMHERE!" Don popped out from around the corner, looking as stale as a roadkill. "WHAT IS UP??"

"Oh! there you are purple! Were you exploring?"

"Yes! Exploring! Not doing anything else! Absolutely not talking to people because that would be BAD."

Splinter blinked, then gave his purple clad son a pat. "Yes! good! And it is dinner! Orange has helped me again. It is stew tonight."  
"Sounds great dad."  
  
Raph gave Donnie a quizzing look. Donnie flashed an awkward, nervous, smile and followed Splinter into the lair.

Hands tucked into the pouch of his hoodie, holding the phone.  
The evil device of lies, friendship and promises.

He had broken THE.ONE.RULE.

This was going to end in tears..

Wasn't it?


	2. The map

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After talking to April on the phone, Donnie got a taste for true normal friendship!  
> Nothing weird, nothing mutant-y.  
> Just him, a friend, and the horrible weight of keeping the truth from her.

April was awesome!

But Donnie felt awful.

He couldn't resist sneaking off to have a call with April. They still chatted on the regular. But it just felt closer to have her voice right there. It felt like they were walking next to one another. She was up there on the streets of New York, walking somewhere. While he, beneath her, would walk in the sewers. She had told him where in NY she lived, and it wasn't that far away. Perhaps four blocks? He could see her window from a drain. 

Was that creepy?

Probably a little bit.

Donatello wanted to meet with her, he wanted to go sit in the park and go on the swings! Like normal kids. Not just walk a weird path in the sewer to walk near the street she was walking on, walking her home from school. Trying to catch a glimpse of her through a drain. Yes, this was definitely a little bit creepy, he knew and admitted this but his curiosity got the best of him and he did his best to try make it more of a _we're just walking next to each other_ sort of thing rather than out flat stalking. Did it count as stalking if you were on the phone with, and friends with, the person you were walking with?

He wasn't actually sure... He wanted to ask April. She was good at knowing that stuff.  
it was hard to know when you were a ten year old ninja turtle tween that had never had any friends and barely any human social interaction.  
  
He didn't hate being a mutated turtle. He was thankful he wasn't _just_ a turtle. But he really did wish he could be a normal human boy sometimes, too, just sometimes! 

Pinocchio turned into a real boy for being a good boy who listened to his father.

Donatello was not a good boy who did not listen to his father. He was way past crossing the ONE. SINGLE. RULE. Splinter had as condition for them to have cellphones.

But he couldn't help it. He wanted to have a friend, he wanted to have April as a friend. She was cool, funny and really smart!

And she seemed so lonely. She was always there for him, he wondered sometimes why she put up with his whining. Because really, he was pretty whiny, he had the self-insight to know that.  
April thought his whining was funny, she even thought he was pretty cool. She made him feel smart and cool, just like her. 

He wanted to make her feel less lonely.

She was his friend after all.

Donatello had done everything to cheer her up, to make her feel appreciated. He'd find the funniest memes and the best videos of her favourite characters. He knew she liked martial arts too and would dare take photos of his dad's Lou Jitsu collections. Apparently his dad had quite a few rare items that made April hit the roof. Though he knew, and she didn't say it DIRECTLY anymore, but he knew the thing she really would want was to see him. His face. To give him a hug, to be hugged.

He couldn't give her that.

He really shouldn't be doing this.

But the oncoming whisper of teenage rebellion grew stronger in his heart. Too great was his excitement to reject it's allure.

It was fun, he had to admit, to do something he wasn't supposed to.  
And it was a lot more fun if his brothers were with him...

But he couldn't let them in on it. Not yet. He needed to first figure out the safest way to keep this a secret from Splinter. He needed a plan, a route, something!  
... He wasn't great at plans. He had great ideas! But those were different than plans. Leo was good with plans. But asking Leo meant exposing everything to him and frankly, Donatello wasn't sure he could trust his brother to stay quiet. Maybe he would? He had to be sure, first. Maybe if Leon owed him a favour? Then he'd be silent for sure!  
  
Oh, Leo would love April! And he was sure April would love Leo too!

But what if April liked Leo more than him...?

Donnie stopped walking in the sewers. He texted April and asked if she was free. But she didn't reply. He checked the time and figured she must be in school now, since the new term had started.  
He wondered if she had fun? if she made any new friends today. He hoped she did, even if a pang of jealousy crept over him, he swafted the feelings away in favour of hoping April had a good time.

Feelings weren't trustworthy anyway.

Feelings made you feel bad for being a mutated turtle boy.

Feelings made you feel jealous about unlikely what-ifs about your best friend replacing you.

Feelings weren't rational and they were just a bunch of dum-dum nonsense! Because they're dumb.

"What you's doing?" Raphael asked. Donnie yelped and turned around.

"Raph! Hey! Nothing? I'm not doing anything? What are you doing? Huh? Are YOU doing something suspicious? Mh? What's with the interrogation? I'm not suspicious, you're suspicious!"

Raphael crooked his brow and pursed his lips. He didn't buy it, and Raph knew that if he kept quiet and kept staring, Donnie would panic and spill even more.

"See! See! YOU are suspicious!" But Donatello knew this game, he had danced this dance before and began to walk past his brother. Pointing accusingly at him. "You are hiding things!" 

"Oh?" Raph chortled. 

"Yeah!" Donnie passed him. "You're keeping secrets from everyone! Damning secrets! But I am onto you, you know?? I have eeeeyeess everywheeereee." He motioned four fingers from his eyes and outwards to the sewer. He turned a corner and was back into the lair.

In Donatello's mind, he had pulled the _I'm going to accuse you of doing what I'm doing so you can't accuse me of it, therefore eliminating the possibility of anyone believing you_ trick.   
It had never worked on Raphael. It worked on Mikey, it worked on Leo, heck it even worked on Splinter sometimes! But Raph? Ohoho, no. The boy was made of spikes! You'd think things stuck on him, but no, it rolled off like oil on water. 

You cannot lie to Raph.

And Raph was aware of this. The red turtle grinned and followed his purple brother into the lair.

"So, what's the secret I'm keeping?" He inquizzed.

Donatello walked faster. "Probably nothing important or life changing, knowing you, that's for sure!" And this tactic was called _downplaying what I'm accusing you of so you won't think I'm not doing something huge, incase you ARE suspicious of me doing anything in the first place._ Of course, this did not work. Because this was Raph.

And Donnie wasn't good at tactics or maneuvering away. He followed the manuals on the box for a reason! He couldn't come up with his own solutions, unless they were technological! (You can trust tech to never malfunction!.. ish) That's why he cheated in games if he were losing. That's why he was bad at delivering unscripted lines to humans when they went top-side. That was why he wasn't allowed to go without his brothers when they were up there on the streets. Not that he couldn't run! He could run. He just froze.

Raphael grabbed his hoodie so Donnie would stop.   
Donnie stared up into Raph's big piercing eyes.

"You're not doing anything too bad, right?"

"Of course not."

"It's enough that Leo gets lost in the sewers exploring, y'know."

"I know. I'm, um... Making a map."

"... A map?"

"Yes! A map! So we wont get lost! That's what I've been doing!"

"Oh? That's great! Why didn't you just say that then?"

"Uuuh, beeecaauseee.. it was goiiing... to be a... suuurpriiiseee?" He grinned awkwardly, hoping Raphael would buy into this.

"Awww, Donnie." Raph gave Donnie's head a rub. It would have been a ruffle, had he had any hair. Instead it pushed his bandana around and loopsided his glasses.

"Cut it out!" He hissed, pushing everything back into place. Raph chuckled. Donnie pouted. He didn't hate the affection, it was just embarrassing. And being a boy on the verge of (almost, soon-ish) teenagehood, everything had begun to feel embarrassing. Again, he knew it was dumb. So he did his best to be above his feelings and simply stroked his hoodie to preen himself, looking smarter.

Raph was smiling at him. "So, where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"The map?"

"OH. THAT! The map, which totally is a thing that exist. It is.. not.. finished yet?? It's in.. Beta." He prompted.

The brothers looked at one another.

"Heh, I don't know what that means but if you don't wanna show it yet, I won't make ya. I'll keep it a surprise if you want me to." Raph winked.

Donatello let out a sigh of relief. His big, sweet, idiot brother bought the lie AND was loyal enough to keep it a secret too!  
He loved his brother, he hoped he'd never change. 

"Thank you." He couldn't believe he managed to lie to Raph. Maybe he was getting better at this?  
  
"Hehe, no problem!" The snapping turtle grabbed the ear of Donnie's bandanna, pulling it around on his head to blind his brother again and left him, laughing cheerily.

"Ah- RAPH!!" Donnie twisted his bandanna back into place, scowling. He hated how easy he was to tease. He knew Raph meant no malice, but he wished he could just laugh it off like Mikey or Leo could. It was things like this he brought up with April. And she'd give him some golden advice like _Either let him know your feelings are hurt or let it go and take a breathe. It's only because you react that he does that, y'know? It's fun!_ And he knew it was fun. He did it all the time, too, to his brothers. It just wasn't fun when it happened to _him._

Speaking of the amazing devil, April replied.

 **April:** Hi Don! :D

 **Dynamite Don:** Hi April. How was school?

 **April:** Meh, nothing's really different. How was your day at school?

_Oh no. He had to come up with something. No lies, just half truths._   
_Don't panic! No stress! Just breathe! Unscripted lies aren't too hard, he had just pulled it off with Raphael!_

_Would he be so lucky to manage another unscripted lie? Leo does it all the time! What would Leo do?_

**Dynamite Don:** Oh, I'm home schooled. But it was meh today.

_Nailed it._

**April:** What? No wonder you don't make any friends! Are you even allowed to go outside?

_Or not._

**Dynamite Don:** Of course I am! I'm out right now on my own!

_Oh no, winging it is never good. THIS IS WHY YOU FOLLOW THE RULES, DONALD._

**April:** Really? Where you at?

  
He looked up at a drain where he was at. He saw a sign up there and wrote that down to her.

  
 **April:** What? You're HERE?! I can't see you! What are you wearing?! :O

  
The most logical thing to do, Donatello thought, would be to throw his phone into the sewer water, run back to the lair and scream himself hoarse into his bed.  
But that's not what he did.   
  


**Dynamite Don:** Oh! No! I just got on the bus! 

**April:** I haven't seen a bus pass by here and I'm walking the bus route.

 **Dynamite Don:** Oh.

 **April:** Don. D: Did you lie?  
  


He sent her a Jupiter Jim gif of Jim jumping onto a rocket and flying off into space.  
  


 **April:** DONNIE! D: You lied!

He should have know he wouldn't be so lucky to pull off two major big lies in one day.   
He shut off his phone so he didn't have to deal with it. If it wasn't there, it didn't exist! He was not caught lying to, and by, his best friend in the whole world. He most definitely wasn't screaming. He definitely wasn't crying himself hoarse into a pillow either.

Because feelings were stupid.

In retrospect he should have just ignored her when she asked where he was at, replied later and pretended he didn't see it because he met his dad and they walked home.

Everything is easier in hindsight! When you're panicking, or stressed, or excited, it's hard to keep your brain functioning at it's full capacity!  
If only he was a robot! Then everything would be easily programmed to react exactly right and everything would be calculated to work out just _fine._

But he was not a robot. He was a little boy with a shell too soft and a heart too full of dum-dum feelings.

His screams had not gone unnoticed as it went from despair into sobs. Raph had peeked into Donatello's bedroom to check on him and received a wet snarl of "Get out of my room Raph!!" And the snapping turtle left his brother to vent out into his pillow instead. He would come back later, Donnie knew he would. 

The softshell turtle heard Raphael tell his brothers not to bother him right now, that he just needed some _him time, alone_. Splinter had been turned away by the red turtle too, and seeing as Raph was pretty close and well-versed in the language of Donatello, Splinter let Raph take the lead. Probably thinking that this was a good opportunity for the boys to bond, take care and learn to emotionally rely on one another too.

He lay curled up under his blanket, turning his phone back on to watch videos. get his mind off of things. Which was hard when April's DM window kept sending him notifications. He slid them off screen with his thumb. And then her messages stopped.

Donatello sat up, sniffling. Looking at the screen. He got April's window open and read her messages.  
She apologised.  
April had nothing to apologise for. He was the bad one. He kept the truth from her and it was hurting him. 

Splinter was right. Good friendships really did lead to tears- well. Splinter never said that, Donnie just assumed that was something his father would say if he knew about April.

And then he'd never get to talk to her again.

Donatello began to sob again, his voice cracking into a little heartbroken turtle chirp. He didn't want to be a bad friend, let alone lie to April O'Neil! The coolest girl in all of New York city!

April, his first and only friend. And maybe now she was going to be his last!

How could he make it up to her?

He continued reading her message.

**April:** Donnie, I'm sorry I'm so nosey about you. I'm just worried you're in trouble. Or that, I dunno, that you're actually an adult with a young sounding voice? I mean, I don't think you are? Though, you're really smart for a ten year old. WAY too smart. And I just, ugh.. you know?  
  
 **April:** My parents are getting a little suspicious when I talk about you. They want to see a picture of you. I told them why you can't, that your dad won't let you and stuff. But they are getting more convinced that you're actually an adult.

 **April:** And now you're... y'know, lying? You're my only friend too but... I don't want to always worry about you. Especially when you won't let me help or let me in on what's going on? I know I'm not entitled to your life and I know you value your identity but.. I don't know. It feels unfair. I know you're not a big fan on subjective opinions or feelings but... feelings are still real.

 **April:** You're my best friend. But I need to know who you are. You can't just- Look. if you're a creepy guy, just come clean, ok? If you're not, and you wanna be friends, like REAL friends, you can't let me pull the whole friendship.  
  


Donatello choked down the big lump in his throat.  
  


 **April:** it's not fair. You gotta tell me why you can't let me in. :(

Donnie stared at the sad emoji. It was staring at him helplessly, wounded, betrayed.  
And Donnie wiped snot away from his nose and the tears from his eyes. His pillow had a wet impression of his face imprinted on it. 

What was he supposed to do now?

Raph had returned. Donnie hid his phone.

"Go away Raph."

"Do you want me to get pops instead? Or Leo? Or-"

"No, I want to be left alone."

"... Did something bad happen?"

Donnie could hear the worry in Raph's voice. He didn't have the energy to reassure his brother that nothing bad had happened, so he opted for a rarity: He lied on a whim.

"I was working on the map and dropped it all into the sewer. I'm just upset at my hard work being wasted."

It was a remarkably great lie, he was sure Leon would be proud of him. Donatello was just a bit upset it worked now instead of earlier when he needed it to. But maybe it was because he felt no pressure right now. It was just Raphael, looking like he wanted to protect his nerdy brother from the whole world.  
Raphael walked in to sit on the bed with Donatello. Donnie hugged his knees and stared down. He didn't want to talk.

"No good work is wasted, Don." Raph offered. Donnie remained silent. 

"You always learn from trying. Even if you lose what you made, you still made it. That counts for something, don't it?"

Don opted for a shrug as reply. Wanting Raphael to leave him to his self pity. He sniffled and buried his snout in his arms.

"Look buddy.. I know you're sad about it. But, you can't give up, okay? Try making a new one! I'm sure it will be even better this time!"

Donatello gave his red brother a sad look.

"I get the feeling making this map was really important to you, yeah? Then, don't give up on it! You only lose if you give up. You're Donnie! You're- smart! You fix things, heck, you make things out of scraps! Don't let one set back hold you down." He put a hand on his arm. "I'm here, okay? I believe in you, you got this."

"Thanks, Raph.." Donatello briefly wondered how much of that was just things his brother had heard from workout videos. Either way, he did have a point.

"Unless you wanna quit? That's okay too-"

"Raph, I said thanks. Really. I'm okay. I will.. I will fix it. To any means possible. I will fix the- uh, map."

Raphael smiled and gave his brother a warm big hug. Donnie leaned into it. Even if Raph didn't know the real reason why he was upset, nothing beat the comfort of Raph's hugs. You felt safe and protected there. He wished he was half the big brother Raphael was. In comparison, Don felt wimpy and small. Even if Raph would wholeheartedly disagree. He wished he could make his family feel safe like Raph did. And happy like Mikey did. Or even make everyone feel belonging like Leo did. And important like their dad did.

What did Donnie do? He was the smart one. He had answers to questions. But he didn't have answers to this - to his crumbling friendship with April.

Raphael let him know he could find him in the living room if he needed him. Then he left.

Donald sat on his bed. He picked up his phone again.

_He knew how to fix it._

Starting with an apology, of course.

Then he was going to suggest it to her!  
it was the only way to make up for all this time of avoiding her questions and keeping her in the dark. For not giving any photos, for not sharing, for not giving back the love.

April was his best friend. He was _her_ best friend too.

They were space buddies!

"Here we go, ride the wave DonDon, ride it to the moon and back." He whispered to himself, Donnie typed out the apology..

followed by the forbidden words.  
  


 **Dynamite Don:** Please let me make it up to you! Lets meet.  
  


He was going to meet April O'Neil, I.R.L. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope this wasn't too OOC for the boys.
> 
> I realise I might've made Donatello a little too sensitive, though it's my belief he does have a rather soft interior and builds a harder, more sarcastic, persona towards others (but his family can see thru it) later as he grows into teenhood. Since this is written with a lot of Don's internal-conflicts in mind, I hope it doesn't get too OOC nonetheless!  
> That, and I did get the vibe from the show that his character arc was going to have him letting his guard down. As every heart-to-heart he's had in the show has shown him to be very sensitive and in-touch with his feelings. Just, y'know, teenage boys want to be cool and untouchable. Raphael even reinforces this by saying "he's got a soft shell" in regards of telling Donnie his gifts suck (thus recognising that he's aware that Donatello is actually rather sensitive despite his uncaring bad-boy persona).
> 
> That's my stand anyway! Though, I do worry that might just be me reading into things.  
> Either way, again, I hope it's not too OOC. I will try my best to write them with justice! :)
> 
> I apologise for any grammatical mistakes, too, I don't have a beta reader and ontop of being mildly dyslexic, English isn't my first language.  
> Regardless, I'm doing this for a creative outlet and to improve my writing.
> 
> I hope it was enjoyable regardless of my errors.
> 
> Please take care and have a lovely day or night! :)


	3. The first meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After months of keeping the truth from April, Donatello offers to meet her in a local park at night.

April knew this was a baaaaad idea.

Sure, she was the one who had brought up meeting each other IRL in the first place, back in their very first call.  
And yes, she had dropped it in a few times after that.  
  
But actually doing it? Yipes. 

That's why she brought the baseball bat from the junior baseball club she had bought it for, but got rejected from. Apparently she had a killer swinging arm that sent balls flying up into the sky never to be seen again. It was almost a super power.

The playground was empty, save from some pigeons nuzzling on the monkey bars.  
it was summer so the sun wasn't entirely down yet, casting a warm glow and long shadows across the pavement.

She looked at her phone, at Donnie's avatar, no replies yet.

His avatar was a little turtle (a softshell, Donnie had specified) with a badly drawn-on purple ninja bandana and thick eyebrows on it.  
He liked turtles, April had discovered, because if the avatar didn't give it away then the endless amount of turtle-facts he spewed would.

Then again Donatello knew an awful lot about everything there was to know anything about. He was wrong sometimes, but he would quickly research and correct himself. It wasn't hard to figure that her friend took a great deal of pride (and self-value) in being knowledgeable. For a ten year old, Don was a genius. The only video he ever did send her was of a tour on the computer he had built on. It had been a lot of cables and lights, extension hardrives and what not. Things she couldn't wrap her head around, but it had to do with computers, anyway.

Donatello had told her he wanted a lab and was slowly building it up. He had great plans!  
The boy sounded like a mad scientist, cackling in her ear on the phone.

Considering how smart her friend was, April did wonder how plausible it would be for Donatello to be using some sort of voice changer to sound younger than he was. What kind of ten year old boy spent his days building on computers? That was the hoby of a 20-something with an interest for IT and shy dream of being a lets-player.

Still...

Here she was, bat on her back, sitting on a bench on the playground. Hoping that he wasn't an adult man that was about to kidnap her.

Her parents didn't know, either. Which she was regretting now. But they would have said no! They didn't trust Donnie and for good reasons! But she had to know! Besides, she had her bat and she could run faster than a speeding bike. She could easily run away from him, if that was the case. And it's not like he had done any grooming? He hadn't asked for or done anything sexual, he hadn't even shown romantic interest, neither had he given her any creepy compliments on her photos. So, by jumping to hopeful conclusions: She didn't think he was anything but a shy boy (even if he did his best to boast himself up and sound more confident)

"Where are you.." April looked at her phone again, the purple turtle avatar stared back at her with its dot-eyes.

The sun was down enough now for the street lights to flicker on, she sighed.

A little vrrrr sound caught her attention and she looked down in time to see a green RC-car with purple zigzags on it bump into her leg. It had a little monitor duct taped onto it and the radio antenna was peaked with a yellow smiley.

The screen blipped on to an emote smiling up at her.

"Hi April!" Donnie's little voice chirped happily. "Sorry for making you wait, I-"

April pushed the car away with her foot and got up.

"Wah- Hey! Easy! The paint is delicate!"

"I can't believe you Dee!" April growled down at the car that now made a sad emote. "You said we'd meet! Where are you?"

"We are meeting! THIS is meeting!" He attempted but April gave him a disappointed stare. She saw it didn't have a camera of any sort so she started to look around.

"Where are you?"

"Uh-"

"You're hiding somewhere, come out. You gotta be able to see me."

"Look, April... I can't, okay?"

"Why not?! Ugh! You're impossible! I sneak out to see you, risking being grounded by my parents if they find out- Who doesn't trust you by the way! And you do this?!"

The little screen displayed a gif of a sad puppy.

"Oh don't give me that. Don't you even! I'm going home."

"No! April! Ok! Ok I'm sorry! I will show myself! Just- Please don't freak out.."

"Why would I freak out? ... Oh no, you're a creepy old guy arent you?"

"What? why do you keep thinking that?! I'm obviously a child!"

"It really isn't as obvious as you think Dondon!" April crossed her arms, poking her tongue out at the little car.

"Alright, alright... Hold on.." 

The screen shut off. 

April stood in the silence, the sun sinking past the last skyscrape, shrouding the playground in shadows. Only the sky was golden pink now. The streetlights beamed. A taxi sped by and whatever was taking Donatello time to show himself felt like an eternity.

The rustling in a tree caught her attention, and a small shadowy figure hopped down.   
  


He stood there in the shadows.

"Ah, wait a moment- hold on." He said, April waited.

**\---|||||||||---**

Donnie had come prepared for this. He wore his usual bandana and his big square glasses. But on addition, he also wore jeans two sizes too big for him and _one_ of his purple hoodie. He wore Raphael's red winter scarf, Mikey's orange kitchen gloves and Leo's blue cap. And he'd even snagged his dad's I'm-human-I-don't-have-rat-feet shoes. His disguise didn't end there though. There was his softshell to consider too, not that he was in any mortal danger here with April, but you never knew. So he wore his backpack. 

His backpack, a prototype on a design he'd been working on. A normal school bag with the back of it cut out and sewn together with this particular hoodie he wore. Inside the backpack he had a mixture of hard and cushiony paddings. The backpack also worked for storage with all the outside pockets.

Donatello fumbled with the controller in his hand. It was an old playstation one controller that he'd managed to connect with the RC-car. It let him use the XYAB & LR buttons to control the screen and other features on his toy.

"Ahem." Donnie coughed after a moment of silent shuffling with his gloves and controller.

The RC-car zoomed over to him and in a small _pop_ of confetti, Donnie hopped out of the shadows, striking a pose. 

"Ta-daa! it is I, your friend, Donatello Splinterson!"

April stared.

Donnie stood frozen in his pose.

"No? Nothing? Not even a _wow it has confetti too?_ Nada?" He stood straight, buttoning on his controller. "Wait there was supposed to be a trumpet noise too, uh.."

"Why are you all... geared up like that?" April asked, not being able to hide neither her confusion or disappointment. To her, it must have seemed like every step closer of meeting her friend, there was still another layer of hiding away.

"Oh..." He had rehearsed this for two hours, he had an answer to this. "I have a really rare skin condition called scaleyosis and it's so rare that you wouldn't be able to find it online anywhere, really, the only other known record of the condition was in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, back in 1802. And so, the only articles are in Russian. And this condition makes me look... Different... Like _super_ different. And I don't want to scare you. That's why. Dot and Dot on that!" 

It may have worked, had it not sounded incredibly rehearsed.

April crooked a brow. "That's not a real thing."

"Aph- Bweh- YES IT IS?! Wha- What makes you say otherwise?! Why would I go such lengths to cover myself up if it wasn't?!"

"Dude, Rostov-whatever-don isn't a real place."

"It is, actually."

"Alright, well, if I know you correct, if you had to pick a random city in Russia for a lie, you would pick the one with _Don_ in it."

Donnie stared at her through his big glasses.  
April stared back.

Donnie gave in. "Alright, I don't have scaleyosis. It's not a real thing..."

"Yeah duh! So that means you owe me an explanation. And don't weasel out of it this time! I will leave!" She stomped for emphasis.

The jig was up.

He stood there now, on the edge between two worlds.  
One where he wasn't a son who betrayed his father's trust and exposed himself and his brother's - but maybe have a friend in his life (if she didn't scream and reject him).  
The other, where he was a good son that stuck by all the rules and did not have any friends (save from his brothers, who were awesome, but not the same thing).

April waited.

Donnie froze.

"Well?" She asked and it was like the pressure broke his head and he let out a sniffle. "Uh- Dee?"

"I caaaaaan't!" He sobbed. "I promised my daaaad! But I don't want you to go eitheeer! I don't know what to do!" 

April tilted her head and sighed. 

"Alright, alright, look Donnie." She had approached him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. It was his first human contact but April was none the wiser. "I won't make you, okay? If you're uncomfortable I won't make you."

"Really?" His eyes shiny with tears, his voice small.

"Yeah!" She ensured. "How about this? Lets hang out and if you feel less shy n' stuff, then you can show me your face? Or.. y'know, a hand or something?" Her smile was so inviting and confident that it melted his stress away.

He smiled through the big scarf, eyes practically glittering with admiration for her. 

"Thank you April."

Her smile lopsided. "I'm sorry I was trying to pressure you-"

"No! No no! I totally get it! I mean- look, I feel guilty, I really do. And I want to share more about myself. I mean have you MET me? I'm all about ME! I would if I could, it's just.. There's just a lot in the way."

"Your dad?"

"Well yes, him and also other things."

"Mmh.." She hummed thoughtfully. Don fumbled with his controller. "It's a really cool car you've got though." She diverged. "Did you build it?"

Donatello exploded into sparkling enthusiasm. "I did! I needed a lot of scraps and the back wheels are from a broken skateboard! My brothers helped me find the stuff I needed for it- Mikey painted it!"

"Oh yeah! Your brothers. You've told me about them before. Are you guys close?"

"Yeah, they're great. You'd love them. I... kinda hope you guys can meet someday. I just gotta, y'know, work out some things first."

"Yeah?" April smiled, happy at the thought of having more friends. "It must be nice having so many siblings. I wish I had siblings to hang out with."

"I couldn't imagine life without them, honestly." He sat down on the bench. "I hope you get a sibling someday."

"Aw, thanks Don. In the meantime, you will have to do!" She ruffled at his hoodie, twisting his cap a bit. But it didn't annoy him this time like it had when his brothers did it.

"Heheheh, being your brother is a title I would carry with honor." He handed her the controller. "Here, if you want."

"You sure?"

"Sure!"

They played around with the RC-car all over the playground. They built a road for it in the sand, pretending it was Jupiter Jim on the desert planet from the episode _Jupiter Jim and the Sandosaurous!_

Donatello forgot that he was a mutant boy in disguise. It felt like they had known one another for life times, for an infinite amount of versions of themselves. As though they had always been destined to become friends, regardless of what the universe (or multiverse) would throw at them. Being a mutant didn't stop Donatello from laughing and cracking jokes with April.

"Ops, I did something." April exclaimed when the mini turtle tank's doors popped open and something fell out. See, if you held down the R button and the A button, his RC-car would activate the turbo function. Which was enhanced with little rockets flanked out on the sides. 

"Oh! that's the rockets." Donnie explained. "I haven't tested it yet. You see Leo, y'know my twin that I'm - for the record - totally am older than, had a sick idea of making it go faster so it could go up on the walls. He challenged me and I, being the superior twin, had no choice but to accept and prove my might. And, so, there are rockets. Untested, though."

"Woah! cool! You mean this thing can go even faster? Dondon! You're incredible!"

Something about her amazement threw his brain into the gear of _zero consequence_ thinking. It was when Donnie got high on his own euphoria of entertaining her, showing off his genius, that things started to go wrong.

"Ohoho! Let me show you what _THIS baby can DO!_ " He picked up the toy car and walked over to the merry-go-round.

He unfastened a little bit of the duct tape to attach the car to one of handlebars. 

"Come here, lady April, your ride to the moon is waiting!" He climbed up on it himself and April followed suit, giggling. 

Oh she could tell where he was going with this. 

She sat opposite of him, back to back against the middle. Feet positioned against the bars for steadiness.

"Ready Captain?" Donatello looked back at her.

"Ready! How's the coordinations looking, navigator?"

"Everything's in order captain! we're ready for set this beast into the sky!"

"Three!" She counted.

"Two!" he followed.

"One!" they shouted and Donatello held in R and A. The rockets started spurting sparks, slowly it started to spin. It found momentum soon enough and they had a proper spinning going on.

"Wooooohooo!" April cheered. "To the moon and back!"

He couldn't help it.

This was the best night of his life. 

He could make it even better for both of them.

He held in L too and the confetti burst out. April yelled in a happy surprise.

It could still get better.

He pressed in a the konami cheat code. _Up up down down left right left right A B._

The rockets let out an alarming fizzling noise.

"Uh, Don?" April tensed at the flames growing larger. "Did it break?"

"Hahaha! No dear April! We are kicking into HIGH GEAR!"

"Saywhatnow?"

High gear indeed. The velocity of which they were spinning flung New York around them into a mash of lights and colours. The pressure of speed trembling into their legs and they both realized they had reached a point where one of two things happened:

1) You kept your legs straight, your hands tight for dear life on the handle bar, and stay on the contraption. Thus lending your weight into the slung of motion to accelerate. 

2) You did none of those things and flew off the merry-go-round with the risk of causing a concussion.

Neither options were great.  
Both had been predictable.  
But not by Donnie. Who normally would have been able to foresee this potential danger, had he not been born a middle child with the need to show off what he was capable of for validation.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA DOOONNIEEEEEEEEEEEE! SHUT IT OOOOFFFF!"

The clunky gloves and the gripping sideway-gravity flung the controller out of his hands along with a glove.

"I DROPPED THE CONTROLLER!"

"YOU WHAT?!"

The merry-go-round began to protest. The playground equipment began to wobble on whatever it was balancing on, kicking up sand.

It didn't take long until the merry-go-round turned into a cartwheel, rolling the two screaming tweens across the playground, crashing into the monkeybars with a hard bang of metals.

Donnie skidded head first into the frame of the sandbox.

And the beautiful neon-light New York went black.


	4. Turtle Mutant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie is a turtle mutant. April has some feelings about this.

The dark world was swimming his vision back into colour. He was seeing double and everything was fuzzy. There was a ringing noise in his head that started to tune into April's worried voice.

He blinked up at her, she was near him but with a slight distance between them.

Donatello groaned and sat up, nursing his head with his glove-free hand. Almost as instantly as he put it on his face did he realise he was glove-less. Quickly he shoved it behind himself and looked at April. Whom was holding her baseball bat, but not in a way that indicated she was going to use it on him. He touched his face with his other hand, his scarf was gone. His hoodie down.

April handed him Leo's cap to him.

"You uh, dropped your stuff when we flew around."

Donatello carefully took one item at a time, proceeding with putting on the blue I♥NY cap and pulling the hoodie over it, the scarf hanging loosely around his neck.

"Your glasses." She gave them to him too, along with the lost kitchen mitten he used as glove.

"Thanks."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll just get a bump I think. I've fallen from higher places."

"Uh-huh.." She replied, not registering what he was saying really. "So, uh, scaleyosis..?"

"That's not a thing."

"Okay, well, um..." She gestured. "So what's _this_ whole situation then?"

He sighed. "The reason I couldn't and shouldn't have met you?" He put his face into his hands. "I'm such an idiot.."

"You're not. Though I get why you couldn't send selfies now." She drummed her fingers on her bat, putting it back onto her back. "Look, Don.. are you like..... er, How do I say this? Are you like.. an escapee from AREA 51 or something?"

The look of irritated confusion he gave her was priceless. "What??"

"I mean, are you an alien or something? Raised by your 'dad' that's actually the scientist that rescued you from being an experiment?"

"WHAT?! NO?!? WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT??"

"WHY WOULDN'T I THINK THAT?! _LOOK_ AT YOU!"

"I'M A MUTANT TURTLE, APRIL! NOT AN ALIEN!"

There was a brief shock of silence.

"YOU'RE A MUTANT?! HOW?!"

"I DON'T KNOW! Dad never really told us! Just- green goo turned us from turtles to half-human-half-turtle mutants! The same stuff turned him from human to a half-rat man! That's all we know-"

"Hold up! Hold up! Your dad is a RAT?!"

"Ah-ah, correction! Human mutated into a rat. Ergo, rat man."

"And you are.."

"Mutant turtle. Turtle mutated to (half)human, thus, turtle mutant."

"And your brothers...?"

"Turtle mutants too. Though, different species of turtles. I am a-"

"Softshell."

"Bingo! Ten points to O'neil."

"Hu-boi. Okay, okay. That's cool, okay, right. Cool cool cool. Mutant. Right, that's fine. Super. Mhm!"

"You know it doesn't sound very _super cool cool cool_ when you say it like that."

"Oh, I'm sorry Dee, I've just never found out my best friend was a MUTATED TURTLE THIS WHOLE TIME BEFORE!"

"Touch'e." He relented and what followed was his worry. "Do.. You... y'know...?"

"Huh?"

"Do you not want to be friends anymore, then?"

"What?! Are you kidding?! This is awesome!" 

Of course she was excited, what twelve year old wouldn't be? A mutant friend was an adventure to unfold! Besides, everything made sense to her now. His secrecy, his father's strict rules.. She could finally see him, her friend, for who he was. She could finally be with him and they could have crazy fun together! Space buddies forever!!

Her excitement wasn't returned. Donatello's anxieties bubbled up to the surface. All his life he'd had to shove the thought away, the thought that him and his family never could be accepted. That nobody would want to be around them, to get to know them. That people only wanted to hurt them or look at them as either monsters or scientific specimen. He remembered when they were even younger, how his brother and him would yell _Turtle power_ around the lair.. Now he could see why they did that, it was comfort. The couldn't be anything different than mutant turtles, so they either had to learn to live with it and find ways to love being mutants, or use it as fuel to hate themselves - which wouldn't lead to anywhere good for them, really.   
  
But Donatello was a boy of science and truths. He was better at truths than lies. And the crippling truth was - he's not normal and never will be. The world would never accept him or his family, there was no way they weren't in dangerous peril whenever they went up here. They could be exposed, taken, killed.

"How is this awesome?!" His voice laced with frustration. "I'm a mutant! I'm not human, I'm not a real boy! I can't hang out with you like other people can. I can't go to school, I can't do anything! I live in a sewer for crying out loud!"

"You live where??"

"I will never be able to work in a high tech agency to develop advance technology! It doesn't matter how big my dreams are, they will never take fruit! I won't be able to marry or even show myself in public! Let alone have any friends!"

April looked at him, her expression saddening.

"How is this awesome?! This isn't awesome! I love my family, they're literally all I have. But I just-" he sighed, caving into the throbbing lump in his throat. His voice cracked. "I just wanted to know what it felt like, y'know? Being normal. Having a friend, play up here without worry..."

"Dondon.." April kneeled down by him and gave him a hug. "I don't care if you are a crazy human boy or a crazy mutant turtle boy, you're still my crazy friend Donnie. Okay? I still want to hang out with you."

"... April, it's not possible. How would we keep it up? Where could we go to hang out at peace?"

"Well, uh, like this? At night?" She grinned. "Or in the, erm, did you say sewers?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that smell?"

"Ah, I do not expect you to be aware of the filter system of New York's sewers. See, we live in the area where the water is the cleanest after being filtrated. So albeit me and my brothers - and I guess dad to an extent? - are naturally built to withstand swampy waters, there is no worry for us catching cholera in the area we have made our lair. And thus it's-"

"Okay, okay." She chuckled. "Right, so..." She looked at him for a moment, taking in his features. Getting used to it, and seemingly catching on to it fairly quickly. "So we can go there, then. Eventually. And, I mean.. we can still hang out like this?"

"Oh, erm, sure. I just need disguises. So does my brothers. We have been up here before, in disguise, it's just scary. Y'know? I know Raph and Leo pretend like it isn't, but I know they are because I do too, but the thought of being captured by- I don't know? Crazy scientists? Even you thought I was an alien or something." He grovelled. "And this is New York. I'm sure there's a conspiracy theorist out there that would love to catch one of us and show the world that _reptilians are truly amongst us_ before dissecting us." He shuddered. 

"Yeah, like that movie E.T. right?" 

"Yeah, like that."

"But in that case, I would rescue you! And prove to the world you're not scary or dangerous!"

"Well, E.T. wasn't captured for being dangerous. He was captured to figure out how he functioned as a secondary life form in the universe, as well as forcefully quarantine him in-case of unforeseen bacterial interference with human biology. I mean, if we're going to go into the details of it all, it makes sense to isolate an alien. Not just for humans sake, but for its' sake as well. Who's to say the earth isn't a health risk to-"

"Beep beep." She poked his forehead. "Nerd alert. I get the gist Dee."

"Right, sorry. I'm just overthinking."

"A little, yeah." She shrugged. "But you're right. That's pretty scary to think of."

"Yeah.."

"But, this IS New York. it's full of all kinds of people, everyone too weird and different to care that you got a.... skin.. condition. That turned you green and scaley."

"I dunno.."

"And you said you guys had been in disguises before, right?"

"Yeah but only during winter and Halloween, when wearing extra covering or looking like us makes most sense."

"Yeah but, like, people accept background noise way easier than you think. I mean, there's always a street being blocked somewhere for a movie shoot going on here. That's just normal every day. There's people dressed up for different kinds of work or events. Nobody stops to think why someone is dressed as a viking on the subway? It might just be their hoby or they're cosplaying, or they're an extra at some show. Heck, there's Halloween to consider, too! Like you said! Look... People fill in reasons for you, Donnie. And most people think it's rude to ask why you look a certain way, too! You could say it's a tattoo, or a skin condition (like before) or say it's a burn-scar. Anything! Let me say it again: People buy into most things."

This was why he needed April in his life. Why he thought his brothers would love her too.

She just got it, and she had answers to things that just made him have more questions.

She made him feel at ease. 

"Yeah, you, uh.. you got a point."

"Heck yeah I do! So, don't you worry your turtle head about nothing! I, April O'Neil, still want to be your friend and will protect you from being captured by humans. If you still want to be mine, that is?"

She offered him a hand. He took it.

"Y-yeah, of course I do."

She hoisted him up. "Well then! Best friends?"

"Best friends." He smiled and she leaped in to hug him, squeeze him tight. He hugged her back.

"We will figure it out Dondon. Don't worry too much, okay? We will learn how to navigate this friendship as we go along."

"Hehe, with you as my friend? I feel like I could face anything, I will be unstoppable!"

April let out a snort and gestured at the merry-go-wheel at the monkey bars. "Uh, yah, not sure unstoppable is something you should continue to do, haha!"

"Oh, yikes, er- well, they needed to fix this place up anyway, right?" 

"Right. It's been in need for reparation for a while now."

"Oh, definitely. We did this playground a favour."

"That excuse works for me."

"Same."

The sound of a police car and the blue-red light had them freeze and turn to each other.

Of course a crash like that wouldn't go unnoticed.

"April, grab my car!"

April grabbed it, "Lets run Don- Woah!" Donatello picked her up and started running with a speed he previously hadn't known he was capable of. Turns out the little bit of ninjutsu Splinter taught them did aid him after all.

Some blocks away, Donatello wheezed to a halt, putting April down. Needing a moment to catch his breath before talking again.

She gave him his mini turtle-tank toy car back and he hugged it. He pointed at her window and wheezed out: "Your window."

"You know where I live?"

"Of course I do- is, that creepy?"

"Uh, a little, I guess?"

"Sorry. I couldn't help it. You told me what street you were walking on once and I was in a nearby sewer and, well, it felt like walking next to you."

"Aw, well, that's less creepy. Weird, but understandable, I think?"

"Heheh, erm, well, I won't do that if you're uncomf-"

"No, no, it's okay. But text me next time, so I can be in on the walking-next-to."

"Oh! Sure! Alright, will do!"

"Right. Well... Thanks for meeting me Donnie. Lets hang out tomorrow again."

"Oh, I'd love that!"

April let out a little squeal. "Yay! Okay, um, good night then!"

"Good night!"

"Bring your brothers if you want to."

"Not yet, soon, though! Not yet." He kicked a sewer lid into a spin. "I'll chat with you later, Captain O'Neil."

She saluted. "Later!"

He saluted back, hopping into the sewer. The lid spun to a stop and the mutant turtle boy was gone.

April stared at the lid, smiling.

"Byee Apriiil!" She heard from the drain not far from the lid. The light from a window illuminated bits of his otherwise shadowy face. He waved at her. She waved back. 

Donnie disappeared into the dark and April made her way back up to her bedroom window.

Ah, New York, what a night it had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was shorter! :( ♥


	5. The Nickname

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every school has a culture.

Every school has a culture. You know the kind that everyone agrees is necessary for the social rules and norms of the school's social structure to maintain intact? That kinda culture. 

In her first school the culture was to bully others so you wouldn't be bullied. Simple math will tell you this meant that everyone (one way or another) did bully somebody. It was in the school's nature. April didn't want to pick on anybody, but that meant she would be picked on. It wasn't necessarily because she was special or particularly targeted or even disliked. It was just how things was. But she was good at keeping low profile. To not be part of the nasty behaviour, you just didn't participate. And if you did not say anything bad about anyone else, nobody had any real reason to choose to target you instead of someone who HAD said something about you. 

This, of course, meant that she couldn't have any friends in that school. Because anyone she did try to be friends with would participate in the school culture, which meant you participated by association. Because you can't talk smack about someone without having someone to share the smack with. 

So she never had any friends. Kind of? Not any real ones anyway. 

Her parents got better jobs and she moved to this new area. The school was much better, at least to April it was. The culture here was different. Here, everyone got along and everyone was pretty welcome to be friends with whomever they wanted to. There was a big anti-bullying schtick in this school. Which looks great on paper! But in reality just meant that the bullying was sneakier. 

For some reason adults thought that if you just told kids bullying was bad, then they wouldn't shove each other into lockers, steal their clothes after gym class or give the nerds swirlies. 

Of course, that's not what people did anymore. Maybe they did that in the vicious 80's, but not now. People in the 80's were parents and teachers now. They didn't grow up with the pressure of social media and drowning in the malestream of _Please_ _validate_ _me_. 

There were those who claimed they didn't want validation and as evidence they'd show their lack of selfies on their social profiles. But that just meant their validation was desired elsewhere. Like their artwork or school grades. The pressure of being someone important, doing something important, snaked its way into your life one way or another. 

April was no different. 

She wanted peers, she wanted to be accepted and feel belonging. She wanted to have a group of friends she could hang out with in the park and make memories with. She wanted to drink milkshakes and go to the beach. She wanted so badly to just have somebody who would look at her and say _You're_ _worth_ _my_ _time_ _and I love_ _you_ _man._

It had been five years since she started there. 

**\--- FIVE YEARS AGO---**

She had been determined to fit into this school. 

To fit in, she had to figure out the culture. 

It wasn't hard, really, everyone was friendly. If you were nice to them, they were nice to you. Just don't get a nickname. If you had a nickname, you were done for. Everyone who were called anything was an outcast and people avoided them like they were carrying a contagious plague. Which, honestly, April thought was a little bit odd. Surely a personality trait or event could be overseen or forgiven? Nothing should follow someone for the rest of their life, right? But then again, people should be held accountable shouldn't they? 

Some nicknames were obvious. Bobbie Booger Bomb was self explanatory. But for the people in the back; Bobbie always had a finger up his nose and would proceed to plaster whatever surface nearby with the content of his nostrils, sometimes he ate it. Even if said surface was another person. It didn't seem to cross him just how gross that was. He either didn't understand or he just didn't care. But people stayed away. 

April needed a moment. 

A chance to say "Wanna hang out?" to anyone who did not have a nickname. She just never got a good chance to stick with one group or one person. It just kind of slid away from her like a shaved rat skidding on oil. 

Until one day Angelica waved her over. 

Angelica was the cool girl. Her friends were cool because she was cool. She was sweet, smart and pretty. Her big sister was practically the queen of the school and it was obvious that Angelica would grow up to take over the crown. But Angelica didn't give people nicknames. Angelica was much nicer than her sister. Everybody said so! Anyone who ever talked with Angelica said that she was amazing. She radiated something that made you want to stick around. Angelica had this mesmerizing power of making you feel chosen and validated when she spoke to you. 

April got to sit with them at lunch and then even the break. Angelica kept inviting her and soon enough she was one of them, one of Angelica's friends. 

But she couldn't help but notice how her friends would throw comments about nickname-people if they were nearby. And Angelica would one way or another agree to stay away. 

"I mean.. He can't be THAT bad, right?" April said when the group was going to avoid even being seen sitting nearby Bobbie Booger Bomb. 

Angelica gave her a look. "You're new here, so maybe you don't know, but he's kinda gross." 

"Really? I mean, YES, I agree. But does he STILL do that? Maybe he outgrew it? From what I gather he got that nickname in kindergarten. And I've never personally seen him do anything else than play on his phone or read comics." 

The group looked at one another. It's not like they stuck around Bobbie long enough to see him do anything gross themselves. Except for back then. And it was Angelica's sister who'd given him the nickname after he flicked a snotball into her forehead by accident. 

"I'm not going to find out. But go ahead if you want to April." Angelica offered, she was smiling kindly. There was no malice. April hesitated, she didn't want to leave the cool kids for booger boy over there. "We'll wait here for you" Angelica added and April was off to discover whatever or not Bobbie was a normal guy with an unfortunate legacy or if he lived up to said legacy. 

"Hiii Booobbieee..." 

The following conversation could only be alike to that of an interview with a zombie that ate his own brain. 

Needless to say, April returned, thoroughly grossed out by Bobbie's lack of self awareness (or lack of care for basic social norms) when he managed to slime out a string of snot onto his comic page before flipping to next page. 

"I told you so." Angelica chuckled, her friends snickered. "Nicknames are there for a reason, April. They're people to avoid." 

"Yeah okay, maybe Bobbie was gross, but it can't be true for everyone?" She really hoped it wasn't, anyway. She didn't like the idea of participating in a system that put some people as outcasts. To her, it seemed that the real reason why everyone got along so well in the school was because they could unify on being on the other side of the line, where the opposite side were the ones with nicknames. 

After all, if you did not have a bad rep, there was no reason to avoid you or not invite you along. If someone looked lonesome or didn't have a lab partner, you didn't feel a need to disinclude them. Because they were probably not an odd person. Because if they were, they would have a nickname. 

It just didn't sit well with April. 

Surely not every nickname-person was doomed to eternal outcast-ness? Surely the reason they were outcasts were now outdated and they should be given a new chance! You know? Right? 

So that started April's quest, much to Angelica's entertainment, to try debunk the nicknames. 

Whenever someone tried to avoid, laugh at or gossip about a nicknamed person, April was there to do her best in disproving it. 

**David** **Switchblade** was not, as April had hoped, just a knife enthusiast. 

**Simoné** **with** **an** **apostrophe** was totally fine, until you spent time with her and realised she would correct you on everything you said, did or thought. It drove you insane to the point you weren't even sure you had tied your shoes correctly. She had a way of making you feel overly-self-aware in the most unhealthy kind of ways. 

**Sporty** **Karl** turned out to be really, _really_ _,_ ** _really_** , into sport. You never got a chance to talk about anything else than sport. And albeit he was happy you were talking to him, he never asked about you, or cared about your interests. It was sports or nothing. 

**Sarah** **Clingy** was seemingly normal until she started to stalk April on social media and in school. April wasn't sure what happened after the school and Sarah's parents got involved. But apparently it was the last straw and she was never seen again. 

**Creepy** **Carol,** April had hoped she was just one of those theatre kids that got way too deep into gothic melodrama and listened to metal. That the voodoo doll in her belt was just part of a japanese gothic lolita style. After April had discovered that Carol wanted to initiate April into witchcraft by sharing blood and become witch sisters... April nope'd out. And Carol now had two dolls on her belt. The new one looking eerily alike her. 

"Just admit it O'Neil," Angelica sipped on her milk in the cafeteria. "People have nicknames for a reason.” 

April looked down at her food. It couldn’t be that simple, that cruel. Could it? 

April’s dad was a journalist. He found out the truth. He was a pretty big name in the world of journalism and praised on his investigation skills. His job meant that he travelled all over America to interview people. He was a digger of stories.   
Her dad had always told her that people are interesting! And if you just ask the right questions you would find out their truths. There was always a reason for something, no matter how outlandish it may sound... It may make sense to somebody. 

April had the same philosophy. 

And she had inherited her father’s curiosity on people and finding out the truth. 

There had to be more to these kids than being reduced to a nickname. There had to be more to their identities than just one trait. Right? 

She got home that day, her parents arguing in the kitchen and stopped when she asked what was up. Nothing, apparently? But they never argued. And they never kept her out of the loop like that before.   
She was nonetheless happy her dad was back though! Finally. 

April got a text from Angelica. 

**Angelica:** Hey, your surname is O’Neil, right? And your dad is a journalist?   
**April:** yeaaah? Why?   
**Angelica:** Like, I don’t really read the news but... 

She sent her an article written by her dad. A flimsy photograph was with it. 

She knew her dad had travelled somewhere to interview someone about whatever it was. But she hadn’t thought it would be this. She read her father’s article and it was about bigfoot. Apparently, her dad was recounting the adventure he had with the bigfoot hunter and how they were absolutely chased by bigfoot and not a bear. 

It was quickly a meme. 

Her dad was in the photo, the best picture her dad managed to get was him running away from a blurry shadow with glowing eyes. 

Her dad had thought that his name and reputation would have given him some credibility. 

It didn’t. 

He went from successful journalist to a meme overnight. In a way, her father got a nickname. 

How he’d managed to get away with publishing that in the first place was blind trust in his reputation, someone somewhere at office had failed to double check and reject it. 

But her dad didn’t lie. He wasn’t a liar. She knew him. Truth was his middle name. If her dad said he was chased by bigfoot and wanted to spread the truth of his existence, then, April believed him. 

At school the next day, it was terrible. 

People who never talked to her would come up to her. Whomever had said she was the daughter of Bigfoot Journalist let it be very known to all. April guessed Angelica’s big sister. Honestly. 

“That must suck for you.” Angelica comforted. 

“Yeah...” April trailed. 

“I mean, your dad probably saw a bear.” 

April hesitated. “My dad isn’t a liar.” 

“I’m not saying he is. I’m just saying he saw wrong.” 

“I don’t think he did.” 

“You can’t be serious O’Neil.” 

But she was. “H-haha, yeah, no, I mean you’re probably right.” But she knew. 

She asked her dad next night when he tucked her to bed. 

“Dad..?” Her big eyes looking up into his. He had clearly had a worse day than her, but she had to know. “Did... Did you lie?” 

They hadn’t had a conversation about it yet. She only heard her parents. Her mom wasn’t angry anymore, just sad for her husband and trying to be supportive. But she too thought he must’ve made a mistake. 

Her father sat there on her bed. His tired eyes looking into hers. 

“Yeah..” He said tiredly. “I lied.” 

But his eyes said otherwise. His whole energy was off. She could feel it. She knew it. 

“If you did see bigfoot dad, I believe you.” 

His smile was tired and he planted a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you, kiddo. Try to sleep.” And he closed the door, leaving April to her Jupiter Jim ceiling stars. Her dad hadn’t lied. The truth was important. People reduced her dad to a nickname. 

It wasn’t right. 

Next day everything went wrong. 

If people just had stopped asking her about bigfoot. If people would just stop talking about it (not necessarily to her, but...). It wasn’t that funny. Some people were recreating the meme in the hallway, and paraphrasing quotes from his article. 

She hadn’t meant to. 

Really. 

It was Angelica’s sister after all, she should have kept her cool. But it was her dad. It was like a nickname put a curse on people. Reducing them to a caricature of themselves. 

“What a weirdo.” Angelica’s sister had said on a table next to theirs. “I mean, I watched a videoTuber that examined the whole article and dug up other articles that guy had written. Apparently it’s not the first time his stories are full of flaws.” 

Angelica wasn’t standing up for her. 

If anyone could have told this girl to knock it off, it was Angelica. But she said nothing, didn’t even look at April. Even if her sister was loud enough for everyone to hear. 

“I hope he gets fired.” 

April stood up. “HEY! That’s my dad alright?!” 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah, and he’s not a liar!” 

“April..” Angelica tried. “Don’t.” The whole cafeteria was watching. 

But it wasn’t right. And April O’Neil did the right thing. 

“Uhh, your dad said he was chased by BIG FOOT. You’re saying you believe in big foot?” 

She didn’t, not really but her dad wasn’t a liar. So, then, he must be real. Right? 

“Yes. If dad says so, then yeah.” 

“Then you’re JUST as weird as your dad. What was your name? April? April O’Weird. Hah!” 

Then just like that, Angelica and her friends had removed their presence behind her, scooting away to the other side of the table. 

“You don’t get to call me anything!” April said. A smidge of self-perseverance slipped in as she noticed all the eyes on her. “Just- Just because my dad did a mistake or something- OR didn’t make! Actually! It doesn’t mean you can just reduce me into a joke!” 

Angelica’s sister smiled and scoffed. “Whatever, weirdo.” 

April frowned, took her tray of food to walk away. She was going to be above this! But she was so angry she turned too quickly and the content of her plate flipped at Angelica’s sister. Covering her in milk and tomato soup. 

April went bug-eyed. The gasp of the cafeteria held her life in its clutches. 

The older girl stood up, towering over April. 

“In my defense, I didn’t mean to do that.” 

“YOU... YOU LITTLE WEIRDO!!” 

April abandoned her tray and ran away. 

April O’Weird was her nickname. Another outcast. One amongst the many she had tried to save from their unfortunate fate. Which, in hindsight, did not help her situation at all. That she had tried to make other nicknamed-peeps become un-nicknamed only aided to the weight that she was one of them all along. 

And she realized quickly why the nicknamers were the way they were. They embraced their fates. If everyone anyway was going to call you creepy or sporty or whatever else, then why not just lean all the way into it. 

She told herself she wouldn’t do it too. She wouldn’t be weird. But it was almost subconsciously reinforced. She didn’t have to try. 

She liked Jupiter Jim stuff, a lot. That was apparently weird for a girl? That was just sexist, really.   
Ok, maybe her mild obsession of old Lou-Jitsu stuff was odd, since he was an old movie star that kinda just disappeared. But her mom was a huge fan! How couldn't she love Lou Jitsu?!  
  
She flunked to join the baseball team because her balls hit the sky and never returned. That was weird, sure, or she was just great! April O’Great was a better nickname! But trying to be the greatest at various different sports was also really weird, especially if you were great in ways that didn’t help you get better at the club activity.   
  
In chemistry class her mixtures exploded and caused fires. That was weird how? It's chemistry! It happens!   
  
Her birthdays were practically cursed. That was the only thing she agreed was weird.   
  
Sure! She liked to read sci-fi and yes she believed in bigfoot now because she started reading up on it and besides – her dad wasn’t a liar! So who knew what else was true? Area 51 aliens? Mad scientists? Demons?   
  
Sure, yes, when her class went swimming the lockers went domino on her when trying to help a girl open her locker when the key broke.   
  
Yes, alright! Maybe a little bit weird that the field trip in the museum resulted in April running around with the janitor – Totally not her fault by the way. But it did look weird, since they were both chasing a pigeon loose in the museum. Don’t ask. 

Sure! 

Alright! 

Fine! 

She was April O’Weird now. 

**\----PRESENT DAY---**

She had found a good routine to sneak out unnoticed to hang out with Donnie at the playground. Donatello didn’t dare go anywhere else yet, and they’d only met three times by now. But still. It was so nice to have a friend. 

Yes, alright, a weird friend. But at this point, why not? She was thankful it was him nonetheless. 

He was pacing back and forth, waving his screen at her, pointing at the mystic magazine article about Pizzasaurus. Donnie was surprisingly irrational sometimes, for someone so incredibly smart, he did really enjoy the oddities of the supernatural. Not magic, that was very different. The supernatural was things that science had yet to prove or disprove – either way worked for Donnie. He just wanted answers! 

Was the loch ness monster real or not? Come on people! If mutant turtles existed then surely so did bigfoot? And if mothman didn’t exist and was actually just a big bat like a lot of theories said, then that was FINE to Donnie! Just show him the evidence and he would apply it to his internal library knowledge. 

“The truth is important April!” He rambled, she nodded. “I mean, look at this! People are like _Ooohh_ _, it’s blurry and photoshopped_ , but IS IT???” 

“I don’t know Dee, is it?” 

“Ha ha ha! My dear friend! Let us theorise! If bigfoot and the loch ness monster had a baby, the likeness of it being pizzasaurus is plausible. See, if you consider what Nessie must have as biology, then it is--” 

He rambled. She knew that at the very least Pizzasaurus was not real. And she knew Donatello was just having one of his moments. Usually his moments were rambling non-stop about factual real things. But this was a boy, regardless what anyone else says about people, people are not reduced to just one aspect of themselves.   
Donatello was brilliant, a genius, but he also liked Jupiter Jim and he adored his brothers, he was also a boy that – against his better judgement – wished Pizzasaurus was real and tried to rationalize how it could be real, even if he knew it most likely wasn’t. But it was cute how he profusely denied that he did have some wishful thinking mixed in with his logics and rationality.   
  
Seriously, he was awesome. 

She felt like all those years of lack of friends made up for it by letting her meet Donatello. 

This little nerd trying to illustrate in the sand by the swings where Pizzasaurus habitat might be in a place like New York and how it probably grew bigger by eating rotting cheeses at the garbage dump and dumpsters. 

Obviously, duh. 

"You're so weird." She swayed on the swing as she leaned back on it, smiling.

“Weird, adjective, suggesting something supernatural; unearthly. Related to the word Wyrd. Like the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the Wyrd sisters. Whom is a version of the three fates. You are, thus, calling me a boy of fate and the supernatural. I will embrace this compliment.” He puffed his chest. “That, and, in the modern sense... Yes, I am weird. I am a mutant ninja turtle. Albeit I am not so by supernatural means, as the word WEIRD would suggest. I believe _strange_ or _different_ would illustrate me better.” 

She snorted. 

“Yeah, me too.” April gently swayed on the swing. 

Donatello tilted his head at her. “Why? You’re not weird or strange. Different maybe, but only because you’re hanging out with a mutant turtle. Other than that, you’re awesome.” 

She gave him a look, then smiled. “Thanks Dee.” 

He looked confused but didn’t want to pry. “Anytime.” He stomped out his writings in the sand. “You know I was thinking...” He pondered aloud. “Do you think it would be possible to jump over the playground tower using the swings?” 

“Dunno!” She grinned. “Did you want to try?” 

He held up his skateboard. “Yes! I want to practice something! So I can show off to my brothers later and surprise them! Ohoho, the look on their FACES would fuel my soul to the end times. Especially Leo, since he’s older I kinda wanna at least show I’m superior in some way... UGH, I NEVER WIN!” 

“Bweh- I thought you said he was your younger brother?” 

“Oh, well, er. I mean... Dad said he’s older. We’re twins, but he wasn’t there when we hatched. I think he’s basing our ages on our heights, and at the time, Leo was a little bit taller than I.” He rolled his eyes at his father’s lack of care for important things like that. 

“But I cannot deny that Leon does possess more older-brotherly capacities than I do. Though, yes, we are twins, we are equally as much big brothers to mikey as the other. But I do find myself relying on Leo on things that he only turns to Raph for.” Donatello shrugged. 

Donnie climbed up on a swing with his skateboard. “I don’t mind if he’s older, honestly. It’s just fun to see him get upset when I try to claim otherwise. However! I am the superior twin, intellectually anyway... He lets me have that at least. And a compromise like that is a middle-child, big-brother, trait I don’t possess.” 

April smiled at him. 

“Now!” Donatello took position. “Push me! We need to get a good force speed to make this work!” 

“Roger that!” 

And the two weird friends broke yet another part of the playground.


	6. To prove a point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo wants his hat back.  
> it's a matter of privacy being respected!

Leo went straight for his brother slouching in a beanbag. It could only be him. 

“Heiya there, Donnie.” He peered down at his brother’s phone but Donatello was quicker, flattening the phone against his chest. 

“Yes?” 

“I gotta ask you something.” 

“If it’s how I managed that trick with the skateboard earlier, it is because I am the superior twin.” He said it with a grin. “And totally not because I’ve been practicing else where.” His gaze shifted. 

Leo pouted. “No, it’s not that. And besides, I asked dad what superior means and he said you’re not allowed to keep saying that.” 

“Wha- what?! Why not?” 

“Because it’s mean and he said we’re all equals and none of us can claim to be better than the others.” 

“You do it all the time!” 

“Uh, yeah! After I WIN fair and square! I back my statement up!” He paused to think. “And, for the record. I do not think I am superior just because I’m better.” 

“That’s literally what superior means, Leon.” 

“Yah yah, anyway I’m not here for that.” 

“What are you hear for then.” 

“You know how I’ve told you not to take my clothes without asking?” 

Donatello slowly turned to Leonardo. His lips pursed thoughtfully. “Mmyes? I seem to recall something like that.” 

“Right.” 

“Right, right.” 

“Where’s my cap Don.” 

“What cap?” 

“My blue one, the I love NY on it. The one I wear when I’m skating.” 

“I’ve said it before and I shall say it again: A cap is not a helmet. Wear a helmet.” 

“Helmets are not cool and you’re avoiding my question.” 

“Iamnotavoidinganything-” Leo took his chance to nab Donnie’s phone from him. “Hey! Give it back!” He was up on his feet. 

“I will give it back when you give my cap back. Fair?” 

Donatello tried his best to reach for his phone back, but alas. Leonardo was more weasel than turtle in his movement to avoid his pitiful attempts of leaping for his precious phone. 

“Fine!” 

“You really should just ask, y’know? I would lend it to you.” Leo followed his brother through the lair. 

“Exactly! You would’ve said yes anyway, so what’s the point in asking?” 

“Uh, principle? Because it is mine? How would you feel if I started to use YOUR things without asking?” 

Donatello crossed his arms. “I don’t care.” And instantly regretted it when he heard Leo try to open his phone to prove a point. “Wha- hey! I meant clothes n’ stuff! Not my privacy!” 

“Yah, well, my clothes are MY privacy. My bedroom, which you invade to get my clothes, is my privacy as well.” He kept staring at the password error, pondering what Donnie’s number password could be. 

“Those are entirely different kinds of privacy!” He leapt once more to get his phone back. Leonardo swiftly stepped aside, letting his purple brother fall flat. 

“Is it tho?” Leo smirked down at his brother, showing him the screen he had managed to get into. “Also, as smart as you are you’re unfortunately predictable.” The password had been simple enough. Just write a D on screen and there you are. 

“Hey!” Donnie reached, Leo held it at arm's length. 

“Relaaax, I’m not actually going to look. I’m just proving a point.” Leo pushed at Donatello’s face. “Give me my hat and I wont start browsing, kay?” 

“Ugh, fine, just- don't.. Look at anything.” 

“Fine, fine. I won’t check your search history.” 

“I have nothing to hide there.” Donnie rummaged through his bedroom, looking for the stupid blue cap he’d misplaced somewhere. Leo leaned in the doorway, looking at Donnie’s phone. Donnie was vanilla, it’s not like he’d do anything weird on his phone. As tough and sarcastic as his little brother behaved, he was a sweetheart. 

He wondered if he’d taken any selfies? 

Leo definitely had. Though it got his phone confiscated by Splinter for a week. Splinter erased all the pictures and told him that if he ever dropped it and a human picked it up, it would be devastating. Leaving the phones at home wasn’t an option either, as one of the reasons Splinter agreed to the phones in the first place was so that, if anyone got lost up there, they could call each other. 

But it wasn’t fair! 

Leo liked taking selfies, it made him feel good about himself. He always felt a little bad not being able to post them anywhere, but he liked to show his brothers and that was always something. But he’d have to delete the picture right after. 

He wanted someone to show! Someone to say he looked cool and- well, that wasn’t his family, anyway. He already had their validation – kind of.. Well, in the ways that mattered anyway. Leo was loved, he knew that. But he wanted admiration. And when you crave it like Leo did, people tended to not want to give it to you. But he couldn’t help it. He never told his brothers, but sometimes he wished he was a normal human boy. He was their hype man after all! He used to shout 'turtle power!' when they were toddlers, because Raph had expressed feeling bad about being a mutant. Leo wanted to make his brothers feel normal, that at least they belonged there together!

They had each other. 

And Splinter was right, humans wouldn't accept them, would they? He had thought alot about it and even if Leo wished otherwise, humans could be cruel. The thought of a human kidnapping his brothers and harming them terrified him. So he did his best to delete his selfies. No matter how much he liked social media and all that stuff, he'd built up the self-discipline to resist the urge (most of the times) to engage too much with it.

It was to protect one another.

That's why. 

“Tick tock Donnie-boy.” Leo browsed Donatello’s photos. Nothing special, just photos of his tech or print screens of things he was reading online. An awful lot of Jupiter Jim and Lou Jitsu fanart was saved on his phone. 

“I’m LOOKING!” Donatello protested. “I swear I put it RIGHT here! You know, maybe Mikey was here and he took it?” 

“Uh-huh.” Leo scrolled and paused at some selfies of his brother. “Hey, we’re not supposed to take any selfies.” He reminded. 

“Huh? LEO!! Stop!” 

“Hey, hey, sorry! I was just curious! Just proving a point!” 

“Give me that!” 

“Woah there, give me my hat first! Theeen I will give you your privacy back.” 

“Don’t be a jerk!” 

“Well, I wouldn’t have to be if you just asked-” 

“Alright! I promise I will ask next time! Just- Give me!” 

Leo sighed and was considering giving it back. But then the desperation in Donnie’s voice put him on alert. He squinted his eyes at him and crossed his arms, folding the phone down with his hands. Out of his brother’s reach. 

If Donatello really was doing something bad, something worse than saving selfies - was he posting selfies somewhere? Did he have an account somewhere? Comments only, was the rules the brothers agreed amongst themselves. Only comments, no pictures. They agreed not to tell splinter about their social media stuff as long as they didn't have a private one the other three didn't know of, and of course: No selfies. Memes were fine. Just no selfies.

“Why’re you so sweaty?” 

“Wha- _no?_ I'm not sweaty.” 

“You’re totally nervous dude. What else have you got on here we’re not allowed to have?” 

“You take selfies too!” 

“Aaaand I delete them! You should delete yours too. Pop’s right about the human thing, y’know?” 

Donnie growled. “Dad doesn’t know everything.” 

Leo couldn’t believe his ears. “Uh, no, obviously not. But considering he’s our father and trying to protect us from, OH, I don’t know? Being kidnapped by the army for experiments or something? Dad has a point, Don. Humans’ would never accept us.” 

“You don’t actually know that, you’re just guessing based on what the movies say.” 

“They’re movies sure, but how can you say people wouldn’t go wild and chase us like monsters?” 

“How do you know they wouldn’t like us? Maybe they’d like us? Maybe they’d even be our friends.” 

Leo was dumbfounded, blinking at his brother's sudden opinion on humans. “What have you been reading?” Leo squinted at his brother even more. “'Aight. I’m so checking the rest of your phone now.” 

“WHAT?! LEONARDO!!” Donnie fought the best he could to get his phone back. The two twins arguing back and forth and pushing each other around. Leonardo turned his shell to his little brother, keeping his reach firmly away from the phone as Leo scrolled. 

“LEONARDO!” Leo hadn’t considered that Donnie would grab his shell and pull him backwards. 

Donatello had not considered that his brother would fall on top of him. The two twins watched the phone skid away on the floor. Quickly they shoved and crawled over one another to get to it. 

“There’s nothing important on it!” 

“Then why are you- Agh! Then why are you fighting me?!” 

“For my honor! And privacy!” 

“I’m telling Raph!” 

“No!” 

“RAAAPHAE--” Donnie found Leo’s cap under his scanner and shoved it into Leo’s mouth to shut him up. Leo shoved his brother out of the way and grabbed the phone. 

Leo managed to open it just in time to see a notification. But he didn’t see from who or what before Donnie snatched it back. 

“You got your hat Leo! Get out of my room now!” 

“Donnie, if you’re doing something bad-” 

“Then it wouldn’t be as bad as the stuff you always get us into!” 

“There’s a first for everyone.” Leo smiled, but kept his chill manner. “Seriously though. Delete the selfies and I won’t tell Raph or pops.” 

“Alright, alright, geez...” 

“Now Dee.” 

“I am, I am.. There, see? Gone. No more selfies.” 

“Good.” 

They stood there awkwardly looking at the ground. Leo scooted by his brother to leave. 

“Look, Dee, I’m sorry.” He turned back to the purple curtain. “I don’t like fighting with you but-” 

“I get it, I’ll ask next time.” 

“... Thanks.” He felt like he still couldn’t leave yet, Donnie still looked upset. “We good though?” 

“Yeah yeah.”

“... If you like my hat so much, I will look for a purple one for you next time we go to the charity-” 

“It’s fine. I only like it because it’s yours.” 

“Oh.” He felt a little flattered. “Really?” 

“Yeah, I mean... Helmets do look dumb. You do look cooler in it. I don’t want to just mimic you and get my own, that’s just cringe-y.” 

“We could match?” Leo tried earnestly, Donnie lift the curtain to look at him. “You know, twinsies?” 

“Oh my gosh, Leo, that’s way too dorky.” 

“Awww, c’mopoooon! Donnieeeeee!” He grinned, trying to cheer up his brother again. “We could make the others jealooouus?” 

“We already have matching bandanas.” Donatello chuckled. “We don’t need more stuff to match.” 

“Why not? We're a team! Teams are color coded!”

Donnie rolled his eyes but he was still beginning to smile a little at the proposal. All his annoyances aside, Leo was a good brother too. And Don could feel Leo's sincerity creep up on him like sunrays in early spring. He knew his twin didn't like to upset anyone, he was just trying to do the right thing. Even if the right thing was to reprimand his brothers for doing the same mistakes he'd already done himself sixteen times before they did it only once.

Like an eel, Leo swooped back into Donnie’s bedroom. “We haven’t hanged out in awhile. I feel like we should.” 

“Leo, we’re good. Really. I know you’re just feeling guilty now.” 

“Maybe a little, but I still mean it." Leo felt like he'd gone a little overboard with proving his point to Donnie, although it had been a point well proved, he still pushed a little hard. Maybe, just a little. "Do ya wanna come skate with me? You could teach me that move you did earlier? Give me a chance to be better than you?” He nudged him. Donnie snorted. 

“Right.” His phone buzzed. “Oh, uh, actually. How about later? Kinda busy.” 

“Oh..?” Leo glanced at the phone, trying to not seem suspicious about it now that he got back on his brother’s good graces. 

“Yeah, uh, this is just an alarm. I gotta do something.” 

Leo didn't buy that for a second, Donnie was terrible at lying. His tone changed into something more robotic and flat whenever he lied.  
He wished he could teach his brother the art of good lying, but that meant he wouldn't be able to read Don as easily. So he didn't.

“Oh, ok. Cool. Are you building something?” 

“Uuhh, no. I mean, I’m always building on something but this isn’t it.” 

“What is it then?” He tried to sound innocent. 

Donatello studied his brother like he was trying to figure something out. Should he tell him about April? No.. Not yet. Not after what they just argued about. He would definitely tell on him. Or would he? It was really hard to tell with Leo sometimes. 

“It’s... it’s kinda private.” 

“Oh. Uh, ok.” Leo tried to act like he wasn’t curious and act like he was going to respect Donnie's privacy now too - otherwise his point being proven would prove otherwise if he couldn't hold himself to the same standards. “Alright. I will not invade your... private matters. Whatever they are. Even if there’s like, only four of us here – not counting dad - and anything new and exciting would totally not, you know, be something I am up for.” 

Leo glanced hopefully at Donnie. 

Donnie plastered a smile on. “Nothing new or exciting. If it was, I promise you’d be first to know.” 

Leo was satisfied with that. For now. “Well, have fun with your... privacy, then. Without me.” 

“Bye Nardo.” Donnie waved as Leo prolonged his waltz out of his room. 

“Yeah, bye. Still hanging out later.” He inched out past the curtains. “Just for the record, between you and me. Is this particular private matter of yours only a _you-thing_ or could it be an _us-thing_?” 

“It is a _me-thing_ , for now. I Promise you’ll be the first if I decide to share.” 

Leo grinned mischievously. “You made a promise now.” And disappeared through the curtains. 

Donatello puffed out a breath of nerves. Looking through his phone twice just to be sure everything was in order. 

Leonardo put his cap on and went to Mikey’s room (and art studio) to bother his baby brother instead. 

Leo was onto Don, he could smell secrets a mile away. But he'd do his best to be patient for Donnie to tell him what it was himself, first.  
And he had to bring up the human thing with him at some point later, too. He understood Donnie's frustration, but this was about being safe, after all...  
No matter how much Leonardo wanted to be normal too, they just weren't.  
  
He worried Donnie's wishful thinking might get them all into trouble. Especially since the brothers had a pact not to tell Splinter about having accounts on social media (that was selfie free, of course). If what Donatello was up to did cause trouble, then he'd have to be a good brother and stop him before he made any mistakes too grave to return from.  
  
Leo was the troublemaker, sure, but that also meant he could sense trouble when there was real concern for it, too.

But he'd trust Donnie to talk to him eventually about this phone secret of his.

Unless of course fate would have it otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was short! :(


	7. Breaking the rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the rule-breaker in the family, Leo isn't happy about Donnie breaking the rules.

The problem here was that Donatello needed Leo’s cap again. He didn’t feel safe just using his own beanie. He was wearing his battle-hoodie, the one with the backpack sewn onto it to protect his shell, which made him feel protected. But wearing a beanie under the hoodie was frankly kind of like trying to cover a snowball with a snowball. 

No, Leo’s hat was perfect. It was better, it was safe. 

It really stayed there on your head too! Even with a hoodie over it and a bandana under it. His purple bandana-mask looked cool with the complimentary baby blue of the cap. Very neon-esque. 

Donnie didn’t feel it necessary to wear gloves when meeting April anymore. Besides, Mikey had asked why the kitchen mittens were covered in sand. So, he quit wearing them. He figured if he needed to hide his hands from humans, he would put his hands in his pockets. 

It got hot with the scarf on and now that April new his face anyway he wouldn’t need to borrow it from Raphael anymore. 

But nothing beat Leo’s cap. 

Maybe it was childish, but he felt like some of Leo’s dumb luck rubbed off on him when he wore it. And he needed the dumb luck when he snuck out to meet April. 

When Donnie planned on sneaking out he would pretend to go to bed early, chat with her on the phone and after Splinter had checked on him actually being “asleep”; Donnie would stuff his bed with pillows and wait for everyone to either be elsewhere together or in their own rooms to sleep. 

But he needed Leo’s cap and now Leo had made such a big deal about borrowing it without permission. But he can’t just ask to borrow it at weird times like TONIGHT. Leo would ask questions! Horrible questions! And Donatello would have to lie! And although he thought he had advanced his skills a smidge on lying, it stood no ground with Leonardo. That turtle was observant. 

He’d always worn the cap when meeting April and he felt safer having it on (and naked without it, honestly). It shaded his face perfectly and he really just... He needed it. 

The comfort and courage it brought him was not negotiable. 

Leo was asleep in his bed, not snoring, just breathing. Donnie wasn’t sure if his brother was asleep? He couldn’t tell on sight and he was facing the wall. 

He hoped on asleep. 

Carefully treading into his brother’s room, begrudgingly making a mental note to tell Leo about cleaning up his room. Or tell Raph to tell Leo to get tidier. A growl from Raph could make any of the turtles zoom off to get their shit together. Raphael was sweet, sure, but when he was mad; he was really mad. 

Splinter did his best to homeschool them, that hadn’t been a lie when he told April they were schooled at home. Although Splinter clearly had not been a teacher in his human life, he wasn’t too bad at it. With the visual aid of learning videos online, it was smooth enough. 

Donnie peered into Leo’s homework. Leo did a lot of misspellings. And was currently trying to write an essay about something in American history. Aside from the spelling and grammar, Donnie didn’t think it was half bad. 

But he wasn’t here to look at his brother’s work. 

He was here to find a cap- ah, there it was. 

Yippie! 

He squealed in the sewers as he approached April’s drain. 

He practically kicked it open and there she was! Good ol’ April O’Neil. 

They high fived and dashed off to their victim of destruction: The playground. 

They goofed around for about two hours before April said she had to go back home. It was a Thursday night, she had school tomorrow. The weekdays were always shorter. Fridays and Saturdays were the best times to hang out and the easiest nights to sneak out for her.

“We can hang again tomorrow night. I can stay up a bit later then.” She promised. 

“Sure!” 

“And, if you want to..” She fluttered her eyes at him. 

“No, April. I can’t. I don’t feel safe going anywhere else yet. Not without my brothers, anyway.” He did look sorry about it, so she didn’t try to push it further. Just letting out a small _Awh_ _ok_. “I’ve built up a confidence about the playground because it’s not too far away from your home or the sewers.” He poked his glasses back up on his face, sounding unusually insecure. 

Let it be known about Donnie that he was a gentle spirit at heart. Even if his sweet adolescence was beginning to get covered up by his ridiculous confidence and desire to impress, it was still clearly there beneath all the swagger. 

“What if you brought your brothers then?” April suggested, yet again, for maybe the 20th time since she found out there were three more turtles to befriend in this world. 

“Oh, yeah, I mean... I would feel better then. But I’m not so sure they’re ready to warm up to the idea of a human friend yet.” 

“Right.” She nodded, remembering how long it took for Donnie to even come meet her IRL. 

“Yeah, I told you about my fight with Leonardo. I do think he actually wants to! But I dunno how to present it to him yet. I think he’d be more open to it than Mike and Raphael. Leon is surprisingly...” He shrugged and shook his head. “I have never really seen him serious about anything before. But despite being the one who’s first to break the rules – multiple times – He's also pretty serious about them for some reason.” 

“Maybe because he’s scared of any of you getting caught?” 

Donatello turned to her with a smirk. “Leo? Afraid? Hah! If he was afraid of our wellbeing, he wouldn’t drag us along on his stunts in the sewers all the time. _Look at this whirlpool I found guys!_ Hahaha!” 

“Heheh, well, that’s in the sewers tho. You’re not getting caught by anyone there, do you?” 

“Erm, no, well...” 

He couldn’t recall anything he’d witnessed himself. But he did remember a time when Leo and Raphael had gone far in the sewer system and bumped into plumbers. It had been terrible. Raph had been photographed (covered in garbage, thankfully) and people had thought he was some kind of giant crocodile sewer monster.   
It had been Leo’s fault, really, even if Raph felt more to blame for being “caught” on a photograph. Splinter had not been happy. In Splinters eyes they were just as guilty as the other.   
Thankfully nothing came out of it, the photograph was ridiculed to a hoax in the media and there was no more to it. 

Raphael had told Donnie that when the plumbers had showed up, that a part of him had thought (or at least naively hoped) they would look at them as children. Human children. But they didn’t. Before that moment, Raph hadn’t considered himself any different than the kids he saw on tv. But now he did. 

He knew Raphael still wanted things to be different. Why else would he be so excited whenever they went top-side? Mikey was still pretty little, just eight (almost nine) now, and Donnie wasn’t sure Mikey had any opinions of his own yet. Or he did and hid them under his optimism and wilful ignorant innocence.   
  
The more Donnie thought about it, the more he felt like he understood Leo’s worries about mixing with humans. He had had the same worries, but that was before April. April changed everything. 

Raphael was the oldest and even he would lean more towards the hopeful future of change than Leo did.   
It just seemed so hypocritical of Leonardo to try reinforce the rules when he always broke them. Then again, maybe that’s how Leo knew the true value of the rules to remain unbroken. He’d seen first-hand more than the others what breaking them meant. 

“Well?” April’s voice snapped him back to the conversation. 

“Uh, no. We don’t get caught by anyone down there. That’s the point of living there.” 

“So maybe Leo just feels safer down there?” April suggested. 

Donatello pondered. He’d never considered it, but that might be the case. “Yeah, maybe.” 

“Maaaybe we, you and I, could show him it’s fine to be up here?” 

“He’s not scared.” He reassured. “I don’t think he’d have a problem with coming on his own. He likes being up here as much as the rest of us. I think he’s just afraid that any of us others would be caught. Nardo is sneaky, he both run and hide really well. But I don’t think he trusts us to be as quick, is all.” 

“Then try get him to come with you?” April put a hand on the fire escape that passed by her window. “Maybe he’d feel more at ease if it’s just the two of you? And like you said, the playground is real safe! You could prove to him that you can take care of yourself! So he won’t need to worry.” 

“Maybe.” He gently kicked a cola can away from his foot. “Perhaps. I will consider it. It just got to be the right time.” 

“Right. No pressure.” April smiled and began climbing the ladders to her window. “But think about it!” And she climbed her way up, shuffling to heave herself back in. 

Donatello watched her, ready to catch in case she fell. Or at the very least ensure her safe landing in the huge green garbage bin. 

Once she was inside and had waved good night to him, he would do his little Jupiter Jim salute and disappear down the manhole. 

\------ 

The sewers were dark and wet. Street lights, commercial boards and shop signs lit through the holes of the drains and illuminated his way home in a sort of foggy pink-yellow steam. The city never slept. Bars played loud music, people walking and talking in all directions, and cars were going everywhere. 

There was only a small hour in the early mornings of daybreak where the city truly took a breather. When the traffic was at minimum and the joggers were doing their routines.   
Donnie called that hour Rat Hours, because just like the rats in the sewers daring to scavenge the bins, so did their father while they still slept.   
One of his favourite memories was waking up too early and Splinter taking him along with him for a scavenge. It had been a nice moment alone with his dad. 

But there was a whole night until the rat hours crept in. 

Now it was summer night in New York city, and Donatello was back home again. 

His father was nowhere to be seen in the livingroom, so he concluded that Splinter had gone to bed. 

He breathed in the dark of their home. So quiet, so safe. He held out his arms as if to embrace his whole home. And let his breathe go with the drop of his arms. 

“What are ye’ doin’?” Leonardo caused Donnie to spin around. He stood there with a glass of water from the kitchen. 

“Uh. Just- sleep walking?” 

“Yeah, no, not buying that.” Leo’s smirk dropped at the sight of his hat. “Wh- Did you take my hat again?” 

“Borrowed. I was going to put it back.” 

Leo looked at him. His usual chill demeanour turning into something more tense. 

“Right you were. Where have you been?” 

Donatello fidgeted with his hands. “The sewers.” 

But Leo heard the robotic pitch of his brother’s voice and shook his head. “Nah nah, not dressed up like that. You’re even wearing pants.” Leo’s eyes widened. “Oh gosh you went UP there?!” 

Donatello closed their distance, trying to hush his twin. “Shh! Not so loud!” 

“Without _ME_?” Leo poked his brother’s plastron hard, insulted. 

“Wh- I thought you didn’t like-” 

“What?! I love getting to go up! I just don’t like the idea of YOU going there on your own! Without at least telling ME or _someone_ about it! But _especially_ not telling ME! Is that what you have been up to lately?” 

Donatello sheepishly grinned with a big weight of guilt on his shoulders. “Erm, maybe?” 

“Don!” 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t think you would approve- ow! Don’t hit me!” 

“Of course I’m not approving it! Dude, that’s so reckless! What if a human saw you? What are you even thinking?! You’re the smart one! At least bring me so I can cover for you!” 

“I can handle myself..” 

“Oh I’m sorry mister deer-in-headlights, or am I not remembering four weeks ago correctly; when that lady asked if you wanted some free crackers and you shut down into a stuttering mess and we had to go home early because you started to scream in sheer panic?” Leo leaned in. “Mh? Or that time when-” 

“I get it! I get it! But that’s in the past, it’s different now.” 

Leo toughen his lips together and squinted at his brother. “How’s that?” 

“I uh...” He couldn’t look him in the eyes. Leo leaned closer, pressing him on an answer. “I ah... I have a, uhm, a friend. Now. So..” 

Leo stared. 

Donnie dared to look at him. He couldn’t read his expression. 

“You got a friend.” 

“Yes.” 

“As in...?” 

“A human friend. A girl, her name’s April.” 

“You have a human friend.” 

“Yes.” 

“A human.” 

“Is the information not coming through or- Ow! Why- Why the hitting?!” He hissed quietly. 

“You! Oh, you! Dona-stupido!” He hissed back, smacking the back of Donnie's head. “How can you be so irresponsible! How long has this been going on?” 

“Er.. A few months?” 

“MONTHS?!” 

“SHHH!” 

“What’s wrong with you?!” 

“She hasn’t told anyone! She sneaks out to hang with me and her parents don’t know either.” 

“Don!” 

“She’s really cool! You’d like her!” 

“Dee! Do you not know how bad this is? If dad finds out-” 

“He won't find out. Because you’re not going to tell him.” 

“... You’re joking, right?” 

“Please Leo.” 

“No, nu-uh, if Splinter finds out I knew all along he’s going to pin this on me! I am not getting my phone taken away for gosh knows how long this time. And besides, you know he’s right! Humans-” 

“April’s my friend..” 

“Ugh, Donnie...” Leo groaned. “Don’t give me that Donnie. You know as well as I that-” 

“April’s really nice.. I’m having so much fun with her.” 

Leonardo’s heart melted at the sight of Donnie. His slumped shoulders, his hanging lip, his wet big eyes enlarged by the glasses. It tore at him, but he had to say no. 

“Donatello.” He tried his most serious voice. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want you to get taken away or hurt or-” 

“What if you come with me then?” 

“What?” 

“I wanted to introduce you guys to her anyway. I just.. I just wanted to scout out the safest place to hang out with her. There’s a playground that’s pretty much abandoned, we hang out there... You would like her.” 

Leonardo grappled onto the chain of responsibility within him. In his heart of hearts, he wanted so badly to go with his brother on this adventure. His nerdy, soft but charismatic brother, when was the last time they were up to no good together? It had always been the other way around. It had always been Leo dragging one of them on his stupid little heists. 

If Donnie had been caught by Raphael, Leo was sure that Raph would have given Don a scold, made Donatello swear not to see his friend again in exchange of not telling on him to Splinter.   
Had it been Mikey, he would have tagged along to anything Donnie asked him to come along on. Everything was fun to Mikey, and he was the youngest, he never got the blame (not really anyway) so he never had anything to lose. That and Mikey wouldn’t understand the true danger, because he’s never had to consider it. 

But Leo? Gosh, it was so much harder for him. He was the troublemaker, he knew more than any of them what trouble could do. He was the family example of what not to do. Not that he purposely wanted to do the opposite of what their dad said, he just felt like “because I said so” wasn’t a good reason. And once he found out for himself, he did understand the rules better. 

After the plumber incident, Leo had done a lot of thinking. He’d given up on normalcy. He placed his cards in trying to make the best out of what they had down there. So, he explored the sewers, got lost a lot of times, found new areas to explore and made-up fun games for them all. He was always keeping his eyes out in the garbage for things his family would enjoy.   
  
Leo wanted to, probably more than any of them, to go up there and live a normal life with his family. He pushed the limits of the rules and all of his dad’s buttons, not out of spite, but to see what was actually possible for them. He was a dreamer. He wanted more for them all.   
  
Donnie was right, Splinter didn’t know everything. He was really old school in some ways and Leo just wanted updates. But the more he pushed around, the more he explored and tested and thought about it, he always came to the same dead-ends: they were just mutants and they could never have a future like normal boys would. 

It was crushing him. Leonardo wanted to protect his brothers from having to deal with that. 

They could only be as normal as life in the sewers could give them. Leo wanted things to be fun and lively for his family, despite their limits. 

It was how he protected them.   
  
His life had sunshine because his family was in it. He was the happiest when they were happy. He wanted to look out for them the best he could. Leo became observant and alert, looking for angles to exploit or explore. 

He didn’t break rules because he hated them. He knew why the rules where there, it was to protect them. He broke them to see if they were still necessary. What if the rules held them back from any happiness or normalcy? 

His family was his everything. They were his life. His only connection to the world. He loved them, they loved him. Despite having to live in the shadows, Leo wasn’t alone. 

**Without his brothers he had nothing.**

Donatello had a friend. He had a human friend that he wasn’t afraid of. 

_Don’t interact with humans,_ it was a vital rule. _Don’t be discovered._ It could lead to horrible things. These were rules Leonardo never found an opportunity to break or test out if it could change or be bent. Properly, anyway. The plumber incident had been an attempt on a whim. It had ended poorly. And the guilt of the whole ordeal had played on repeat in his head. 

_“Relaaax Raph, it’s not like it is on TV. I’m gonna say hi.”_   
_“No, Leo!”_   
_“What’s the worst that could happen? They either yell and run, or they get shocked, and in their shock I will take the opportunity to ask for the time and they will tell me and then I will leave! And then we will know if humans really would be afraid of us or not.”_   
_“I said no, Leo. Let’s go back before- uh- Leo!”_   
_“Hey! Excuse me, Mr Plumber? What time is it?”_

In hindsight, he should have approached the whole thing differently.   
  
He didn’t exactly seek out to break the rules as much anymore, he only did it nowadays if he had the right setting (or tools, if you will) to actually test the limits. He didn’t want to put his family at risk like that again, it had been reckless. The next time an opportunity like that popped up, he wanted to be ready to be his brothers' shield, their sword, their champion. 

But... 

It was Donnie whom had found a tool to break through one of the vital, heaviest, rules. Not Leo. And that was a little scary to think of.  
Donnie could hold his ground, he knew that, but the softshell also had a case of stage-fright when a situation was real, above ground, and not just a fantasy sparring practice with Raphael in the gym.

Donnie stood there and held out a solution to break a rule that, if it could be broken, would give them a chance to be more than sewer monsters. They could be normal boys with a friend. Maybe this April girl could even help them go places? And, maybe, she was a lot of fun to play with. Maybe she was a dream come true, for all of them.

He had always wanted a friend. 

And it was scary to even imagine all the way this could go wrong.

Leonardo hesitated. 

“Please, Leo.” Donnie dropped the exaggerated puppy-face, the quiet real-donnie surfacing and Leo could feel the floor under them split open. “Please don’t make me lose my friend.” 

“Urgghh... Fffine.” 

Donatello’s eyes lit up. “Really?” 

“Yeah, alright. BUT! I’m coming with you.” 

“Thank you! Thankyouthankyou-” He hugged him. “You’re the best twin a guy could ask for!” 

“Oh, just twin? Not best brother?” Leo grinned. 

“I could never choose and you know it.” Donnie grinned back at him, letting him go. 

“Obviously.” 

“Okay, look, I’m meeting her again tomorrow night. Until then, please don’t tell anyone. Splinter would be _so_ mad. Mikey might slip up to dad and I dunno if Raph would be okay with it.” 

“Hmm.. Well, how about I meet April first, then we tell Raph and Mikey?” 

“Do you think that would be best?” 

“Yeah. I think Raph would... want to say yes. But you know how he is. He wants to keep us all together and on the same page. But he’s never been great at knowing what kind of pages he’s holding. And if he doesn’t get it-” 

“- He rejects it. I know. I uh, that’s kind of why I’ve been secretive. I just wanted to know this could be done, first. I... I didn’t want to get anybody’s hopes up.” 

Leo looked at Donnie, his expression warm. 

“Yeah, I get it. I understand.” 

“You do?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Oh. Goodie then. So you’re not mad I didn’t tell you?” 

"Weeeell, I understand why and you _are_ telling me now. Besides,” he grinned. “You promised I would be told first. And here we are.” 

“Heh, good I keep my promises then! ...Even if it was by cheer accident.” 

“I can always count on you Donnie.” Leo smiled his usual way. “You’ve always been particular about keeping tabs.” 

“Alas, a blessing and a curse. Someone in this household got to have a head for what has been said and needed to be done. Otherwise, how do we progress?” 

Leonardo swung an arm around his brother. “Exactly! You and me, we’re going to figure out this whole human thing on our own first. And if we can get it to work-” 

“-Then we present our finds and asses what to do about it together.” 

“Unless we discover it can’t work out. Then you have to swear to me we’re dropping it.” 

“But-” 

“Donatello. If this puts our family in danger, we gotta ditch it.” 

Donatello and Leonardo watched each other in a moment of serious silence. 

“Okay, I swear it.” 

“Good.” He snagged back his blue cap, putting it back on his own head. “It’s a deal.” 

Leonardo’s smirk was mischievous, but when was it never? Donatello just hoped this would convince Leo. Because if he could convince him, everything else would be butter on toast from there with Raphael and Michelangelo. 

Splinter would be harder to convince, but maybe if he got all three of his brothers to warm to the idea of a human friend, it would be easier to get their father on the same page. 


	8. April, this is Leo.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April and Leo meets.
> 
> Leo needs to not be suspicious of humans.  
> April is trying really hard to *not* think of how this could help her dad's career.

Leo didn’t look nervous to Donnie. He didn’t look excited either. He wasn’t sure how to read his brother as they walked side by side in the sewer at night. 

Sneaking out had been easy enough. They had pretended to eat so much candy that they had a sugar crash, Raphael carried them to their bedrooms and once Donnie had been sure nobody was going to check in on them, he snuck in to Leonardo’s room, whom had actually taken a real cat nap. He woke him up and stuffed the bed with pillows and off they went. 

Leo had given him a remark about how clever Donnie had been for tricking them like that the whole time. “I thought you were just like, I don’t know, actually tired because of hormones or something.” 

“Ew, no gross, I don’t want to have a puberty talk with my brother.” 

“Well, it’s either me, Raphael or Splints. And from experience, I don’t recommend either of them.” 

“I do my own research, thank you.” Donatello wagged his phone at his brother, who was wearing shorts and a white t-shirt under a blue, open, hoodie. The blue cap was Leo’s to don this time, though. But Donnie didn’t mind, he had his brother with him. And Leo was ten times the comfort and dumb-luck-charm a hat could ever be. 

Leonardo snorted. “I guess I will have to go to you next time then.” 

“I don’t even know why you didn’t consider it in the first place.” 

Leo shrugged. Then grinned. “So I haven’t gotten pimples yet, but since we’re half turtle half human, do you think it would scar more if I pop’em? What about a beard? Do you think we can grow beards?” 

“If our lack of hair didn’t give it away already, I think the whole beard thing is off the table as well.” 

“Aw, I would have looked cool in a goatee though, don’t you think?” 

“If you were going for a washed-up surfer dude, then sure. But otherwise? Very tacky.” 

“Hehe, washed up surfer dude, good one.” 

“What? Oh! Hah! Unintentional, but I will take it.” Donnie smiled, stepping through the pink light dancing through the wet steam. “As for the pimples... I’m not sure? I guess we will have to wait a little longer for that.” 

“If we’re lucky we won’t have to deal with that. Oh, the quirks of being a mutant, right Don?” 

“Right. Because being a mutant is so full of delight with no downsides whatsoever.” 

Leo pouted sadly at his brother, whom had a hand on a ladder. 

“Don’t pout at me, you know what I mean.” 

“I don’t care, I love being a mutant turtle boy.” 

“You’re in denial.” 

“And you are being self-destructive. There’s no point in hating what you are when it’s just how it is.” 

Donatello eyed Leonardo, his statement felt forced somehow but he couldn’t place how it did. “I didn’t say I hated being a turtle boy. I’m just saying it has a lot of downsides. I mean... Surely... You must have thought about the future?” 

The second of terror in Leo’s eyes was quickly rolled off with a teasing grin. But Donatello still saw it. 

“Future? Bah, that’s FAR away! We don’t have to think about that NOW. All we got to do is make the best of what we already have.” 

“Uh-huh. And we are. But there’s nothing wrong with trying new things and expand, you always say that.” 

“Haha, yeees, but I mean trying things down HERE, where you are safe.” 

“You mean WE are safe.” 

“Yes.” 

“Right.” 

“Right.” 

“So, anyway-” Donatello got interrupted by a text message. He checked. “It’s April, she’s up there.” He pointed upwards and Leo’s eyes followed the finger’s direction up to the lid at the end of a long ladder. At the end of it stood a human girl waiting to be introduced. 

He was lying if he didn’t feel afraid and excited. Thrilled, if you will. 

“Before we go Leo, just one thing, okay?” 

“Sure!” 

“Don’t embarrass me please.” 

“No problemo mi amigo!” He did a double thumbs up and Donnie wasn’t convinced. But regardless, up they went. 

**\-----**

**Don’Othello** **:** We’re coming up now. Don’t freak, please. I think he’s nervous? I can’t really tell.   
**Captain April:** I will be as sweet as a kitten, don’t ya worry! 😀   
**Don’Othello** **:** And I apologise if he’s weird. I promise he’s fun.   
**Captain April:** C’mon DonDon! I’m sure it’ll be fine. I think YOU’RE the nervous one 😛   
**Don’Othello** **:** You slander me. I am never nervous! 

April rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall. Mostly to be out of sight from her apartment windows. It wasn’t just her bedroom that had a window out to the street, there was also the kitchen. She glanced up to it, she could see her dad working on his laptop like always. 

Ever since the bigfoot incident he had lost his job as a credible scoop journalist and had been reduced to pretending to be Mrs Marvelous, a lady questionnaire column that mostly Karens in their mid 40-50s sent in questions on how to deal with their husbands or teenage children. April read all of them. She was proud of her dad’s sound advices and dedication to try enlighten these desperate housewives. 

She supposed she inherited her dad’s good sense of sage advices too. As well as his investigator instincts. 

But it hurt her to know he felt like he’d been demoted. The pay was the same if not better, it was a popular column. But it was the principle of it all. No more thrilling stories to chase and no people except his family to believe him. 

Someday April was going to become a journalist too. She was even in a news anchor Fanclub! Warren Stone was an amazing Anchor! She did her best to inhale his talent. Maybe someday she would be on tv and make her father proud. She’d reclaim the O’Neil name! 

No more April O’Weird! 

She’d get the scoop of a life time! 

Then it hit her. 

Would Donnie and his brother agree to, like, maybe do a fake video for her? Sewer monsters of New York.. That would be a scoop, wouldn’t it? 

_‘No! April! Shame on you April!’_ She told herself. ‘ _Donnie is your best friend! Don’t put him and his family at risk! No way. No! He’s too nice, he’d say yes._ ’ 

She shook the idea out of her mind and both shame and guilt washed over her. It had only been a thought, but it had been there. It was a thought that had shaped itself and planted itself in her mind for a reason. Even if she would never act on it or even want to go through with it... She felt bad for just having thought it. 

Maybe she was a bad friend? 

The sewer lid lift open and Donnie popped out. 

“Hi April!” He said cheerily and climbed out. 

“Hi Donnie!” She looked at the hole, as did Donatello. 

“Today, Leon.” 

“Don’t pressure me! First impressions are important!” 

Leonardo climbed out and he sure was a turtle mutant just like Donatello was. April wasn’t sure why she thought he’d look any different. 

He did look a little more naturally confident than Donnie did. His face was taught and his eyes watched her up and down. She realized that this was probably the first time Leo had revealed himself to a human, so he was being a little stand-off-ish to subtly remark with body language that he didn’t trust her yet. 

“Uh, hi!” April said, extending her hand and tried to look as unintimidating as possible. “I’m April, April O’Neil.” 

Leo looked at her, then her hand, then grinned and shook it. “I’m Leonardo, I’m this nerd’s older brother. But you can call me Leo.” His grin, she thought, was plastered. Something in his eyes told her that despite the playful tone in his voice, he was watching her carefully. 

“Hey!” Donatello protested but didn’t push further, he was a nerd after all and he knew it. “Right, well, ahem. So.. This is Leon, my twin. He’s a red eared slider turtle, if the red marks didn’t give it away.” 

“Oh!” April only just now saw the red marks under the mask. “Oh you also have a face mask. Why is that?” 

“We’re ninjas.” Leo put his hands on his hips proudly. “Our father trains us in the secret art of ninjutsu, passed down for generations in the family.” He looked serious for a moment and leaned in close to April. “So watch it, human girl O’Neil, if you hurt my brother I will be forced to use my secret technique on you.” 

Donnie cut a hand in-between their faces and pressed his palm at Leo’s face to push him away. 

“The secret art of watching martial arts movies and re-enacting them for exercise and bonding.” 

“Hey-” 

“And the secret technique is tripping you over and bombard you with tickling.” 

“Bwuh- Donnie! Don’t tell her! It’s supposed to be a secret!” 

“You’re threatening my friend.” 

Looking bashful and awkward, Leo turned away. “No I’m not? I’m just... making sure she’s.. cool.” 

April took that as an opportunity to sling out some cool finger-guns and wiggle her brows. “Oh, I am cool, son. I am the mayor of coolsville, see? And you don’t belong here outsider.” 

Donnie gave her a quizzing look. Why was she quoting _Lou-Jitsu going to the Wild West 2_ at them? But Leo, however, was sparkling. He had met his match. 

“That’s not possible, miss.” Leo put his hands down at his hips like they were guns in holsters, mimicking Lou-Jitsus voice. “I happen to be the sheriff of cool and you cheated the votes. We will fight down the avenue of hawt. Steamy. SOUUUP!!” And he pointed his fingers up at her, posing like a true gun-slinger. 

April did the same. The two of them beginning to circle one another in the alleyway. Leo made the Wild-west Wawawaaaa music and April tuned in with him. Donnie was watching from the sidelines; astonished things were going so well. 

“Sir, this town’s only big enough for one cool cowboy.” 

“Well ma’am, we’re just going to have to, HIYAH!” Leo made a backflip, April gasped. He landed on top of a garbage can and laughed. “Bang bang! HOT!! SOUUU-” The trashcan wobbled under his feet and he toppled over and fell head first into the garbage behind him. 

“Leo!” The softshelled turtle yelped and went over to help his brother.

“Ops!” April grimaced. She wasn't sure if Leo would want her to help pull him out, so she held back the craving to do so.

Leo was kicking around, accidentally hitting Donnie on the chest in his flailing, until he finally wiggled out and found air again. “Oh, ew!” He climbed out like a scorched lizard. 

Donnie gave his blue brother a smack on the head “What did I say about embarrassing me?! Be careful!” 

“Ow! Heeey!” He got back up. "I am careful! I just slipped, geez."

“You okay though?” Asked April. 

“Yeah...” He looked at her, a little embarrassed he got so easily swept away playing Lou-jitsu with her and turned to his purple twin. “You didn’t tell me she knew lou-jitsu movies.” 

“And Jupiter Jim.” Donnie added, smiling, and Leo inhaled an excited gasp. 

“YOU WATCH JUPITER JIM?!” He beamed at her. 

“Yeah! That’s how me and Don met!” She smiled back at him. 

“Oh, Donnie she is SO cool! I can’t believe you kept her from us! OoOooohohoho we’re going to have SO much fun tonight!” He embraced Donnie, whom despite trying to push his brother away, was smiling. Relieved Leo got along so well and so quickly with April. 

April gave Donnie a wink. 

She had been right, things really was going to turn out just fine. 

“So! Were are we going?” Leo asked, now very into the idea of doing literally anything. Donatello recognized the expression Leo had. The one he had when his brain was ten miles ahead of himself with excitement and desire for trouble and adventure. 

“I was thinking the playground.” Donnie said, smiling. 

“Great!” April picked out a basketball from her backpack. “How about some basketball?” 

The twins squealed. 

"AND she plays basketball! Dude, she's so-" He halted himself to turn to April instead. "You're so cool!"

Her whole heart was smiling. It felt like a rainbow made out of warm soft bunnies giving a million sunray hugs.

"Aww, shucks, haha. You're pretty cool too! Donnie's been talking alot about you."

"Oohh? has he noooww?" He quirked a brow at his blushing brother, who was trying to look more disgruntled than shy. "And what did my dearest lil' brother say? mmh? Shower me with the compliments."

"Oh shove off Leo, haha!" Donnie shoved at him, for emphasis. Leo chuckled and shoved back.

The twins went back and forth for a bit, April watched them happily. 

April couldn’t believe it. She had two mutant turtle friends. What an adventure she had gotten herself into!

Correction: She had two friends. 

She really needed to push the horrible thought away that they were mutants and what that could possibly mean. But it sat there in the back of her mind. Stroking her thoughts like a feather. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was short. :( <33


	9. The Photograph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the memories.

Ever since they got there, April and Donnie had tag teamed to try entertain Leonardo. Make him comfortable and relax, just have fun. To chill on the being-alert-for-danger big brother mode he had been trying to not be so obvious about (but was very obvious about). 

The basketball had not lasted long. It did a brave attempt to try survive by lodging itself in a tree, but Leonardo was as swift and agile as Donatello had told her. He got it down. Then after some praise from April, Donnie had gotten jealous and tried to one-up his brother – only to get the ball bounce far, far, away onto a building rooftop. 

Yeah, no, April wasn’t going to get that ball back. 

“Sorry April.” Donnie cringed. 

“’s okay.” April sighed wistfully towards the tall building. “It was old anyway.” 

Leo turned to his brother. “You really need to stop putting gadgets on your limbs. One of these days it is going to blast you off into the sky.” 

“Hmph! I need to test the prototypes out! Look, someday, I am going to make a tech that can help me fly. And with some trial and error with these rockets...” He showed the bracelet he was wearing that had caused him to smack the basketball out of sight. “... I will soon enough be SUPERIOR-” 

Leo poked his cheek. “Not that word.” 

Donnie flailed Leo’s hand out of his face. “Right, fine. I will be a flying turtle!” 

“Why though? You’re good enough as you are.” 

“I have to compensate.” Donatello huffed. Leo crooked a brow but then regarded Donnie’s shell-shielding backpack. Ah. 

“You really don’t.” Leo hummed. “But if it makes you happy, I will look forward to what your brilliance will create!” He swooped an arm over his brother’s shoulders and looked up towards the building. “Besides, maybe we can get it back?” 

“How would we do that?” April asked, keeping a small distance between herself and the twins. 

She wasn’t afraid, not at all.   
When Donnie revealed himself it still took her some time to adjust to his appearance. She didn’t think he looked awful or even scary, it was just.... Hard to believe. But she did get used to Donnie fairly quickly. But Leo, despite his playfulness did have an air of guardiancy around him that was hard to defuse (albeit she and Donnie had done their best). 

She didn’t want to get too friendly with him before she felt he trusted her. He kept looking at her, too, and smiling in a way she couldn’t interpret. She _guessed_ it was because he didn’t trust her and was watchful of what she was doing.   
  
It probably didn’t help that she kept staring at him too. It was like Leo had a third eye, whenever she found herself staring, trying to get used to his features, his eyes would whip straight at her. 

But he was friendly with her, not as touchy as Donnie was (yet, but boundaries are good with new people), but friendly and funny none the less. He was very mischievous and confident, flying out jokes left and right without a single sense of self-restraint. He was really fun and cool. 

But as soon as she thought Leo trusted her, she would catch him watch her converse with Donnie. And have that unreadable thoughtful, smiling, expression. He wasn’t so easy to read.   
She _assumed_ he just still didn’t completely like her, yet. Why would he? He was a cool teenage mutant ninja turtle, she was a weird human girl. 

But she hoped he would like her.   
  
“Can’t we just go inside the building and get it?” Leo prompted and Donnie, wide-eyed, began to protest. The twins went back and forth for a bit, not particularly arguing, more like discussed pros and cons of doing so.   
  
April watched them. She was unusually quiet. She had never been shy in all of her life, but she felt like she had to somehow respect Leo’s presence. He didn’t act scared of her at all. But there was something in his manners towards her that made her feel like there was a fence between them. A fence with a gate only he was allowed to open. She was trying to wait for the moment he did open it.   
She wanted to be friends with him, he was just as fun as Donnie! And he did seem to have fun with her too. It was just.... 

Maybe it was because she stared?   
  
At one point, Donnie had let her touch his hands and his face, and he her. 

_“Wow humans are so soft!” Donnie had said, holding April’s hand in his own._   
_“You’re not soft, but it’s not rough either. Kinda like my aunt’s bag.”_   
_Donnie laughed. “That’s awful!”_   
_“Oh, no! Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!”_   
_“It’s okay. I get it. Still, wow... And I thought I was soft compared to my brothers. But you feel so brittle.”_   
_“I’m really not brittle.” April huffed. “Girls are strong too.”_   
_“No- I mean, not because you are a girl. I meant because you are human.” Something in his eyes looked worried._   
_April patted his hands. “You’re human too, aren’t you? Half-human, anyway. But just as much as I, to me anyway. Don’t worry about me! I’ve survived so far with you, right?”_   
_“I wasn’t-” She poked him on the nose._   
_“I can see what you’re thinking Dee. You’re not going to hurt me just because I’m human. I trust you!”_   
_Donatello smiled and poked his glasses into place. “Thanks April. I trust you too. Please tell me if I’m ever too rough or-”_   
_“Donnie, of course I would! You’re my friend!” She gave him a squishy hug. “You worry too much.”_

Maybe Leo just didn’t trust her yet? Well, she was going to have to do something to have him trust her. 

“Um..” She interrupted the mutant boys, who turned to her. “I could.. Open the door and we could go in together? Get up to the rooftop and get the ball back.” 

“Do you think that would be safe?” Donnie asked. “What if someone sees us? We’re not wearing shoes, or gloves. And Leo’s wearing shorts so his legs are exposed. Not to mention our faces- I mean sure our hoodies shield a lot of our faces but-” 

Leo was making a muppet out of his hand to mimic Donnie’s babbling. “Ya ya, details, details. I have always wanted to stand on a rooftop. Let’s do it.” 

“But Leo, what if someone sees us?” 

“Nobody will. It's dark, most people are home now... I think?” 

“We can take the elevator.” April suggested. “You guys can hide behind me! And if someone comes in, we will just step out into the corridor. People are too busy to stop and wonder what a bunch of kids are up to. And apartment buildings aren’t so busy anyhow. It’ll be easy! Promise!” She made eye contact with both of them, but specifically Leo. “Trust me.” 

Leo regarded her for a moment, Donnie didn’t say anything. Almost waiting for Leo to make the final call on it or not. With a smile the blue turtle shrugged. 

“Sounds good to me!” 

Donnie grinned. He also wanted to see the city from higher ground. 

April beamed. 

Getting inside wasn’t hard. When someone went out, April ran to hold the door open and the mutants slipped inside. They gazed around in awe at the murky hallway. There had been attempts on modernizing the building, April could tell, but not enough care had been put into it for it to really shine up the place. 

“Well done!” Leo nudged April, she beamed. “You’re a ninja after all!” 

They got into the elevator and the turtle twins exchanged gleeful glances. April was charmed by how cute they were. To think an elevator could be such an adventure? 

Donnie made a little noise when the elevator began to lift them. “Wow. This is weird.” 

Leo chuckled. “You have skated with more motion than this.” 

“Yes, but! I’m stationary, yet moving. I’m just intrigued by the machinery of it all. Imagine if we could get an elevator in the lair!” 

“Haha, where would we even have that?” 

“I dunno? So we don’t have to climb everywhere.” 

“Eh, the ladders are good exercise, Raph says so.” 

April perked up. “Raph? Oh, right! Your oldest brother, right? The- uh- red one!” 

Leo gave her one of his blank looks and then turned to give Donnie a squinting gaze. “Again, how much have you spilled about us, exactly? Should I be worried she’s read my diary or something too?” He chuckled, clearly joking. 

“Ahahaha..” Donnie pulled at his collar, cramming himself into the corner. “I trust her, okay? She knows most stuff. Not your diary though, I was not aware you had one.” 

“I don’t.” He said, but neither Donnie or April could tell if he lied. April was catching on very quickly that Leo’s sarcasm was difficult to read. The entirety of the red eared slider was hard to read, really.   
He turned back to April with a smile. “No offense by the way, you seem like a gal who wouldn’t invade privacy.” Everything he said sounded sarcastic. The smile didn’t help. He was probably genuine, but April didn’t know him well enough to tell which direction his words or behaviour should go. 

“Uh, none taken?” April chuckled nervously. 

The elevator stopped and she was thankful to not be in that small space anymore. 

She liked Leo, but her desire to make him like her was putting unnecessary nerves in her. If he didn’t like her, maybe he wouldn’t let Donnie hang out with her anymore?? That would be a nightmare. 

The friends gave each other a look of relief. At least she had Donnie still, he was doing his best too to make Leo like her. She wasn’t alone. 

April opened the door she assumed was out to the rooftop, it wasn’t locked. And out they stepped onto the roof. 

The whole world was nothing but city lights, windows and starry sky. 

The mutant turtles were entranced by the wonderful sights. 

“Holy mac’n’cheese...” Donnie baffled. 

“This is beautiful!” Leo gasped. He ran to the edge, but slowed down the closer he got to it. He peered down over the edge. “Wooaah, Donnie! Check this out!” 

Donnie came over and carefully peeked over too. “Wow.. That’s high.” 

April stood back, watching them. 

She was so happy! She put her hands in her pockets and felt her phone. 

Just one photograph wouldn’t hurt, right? She wouldn’t give it to her dad. Maybe? She wasn’t sure yet. But Leo would never agree to a photo and she wasn’t sure if Donnie would either. If anything, she was just a little girl whom never had any friends, and now she was on this adventure of friendship! With mutants! No- they were her friends. Yes, they were mutants but- well- Agh! She was so excited for so many different reasons!   
  
In the end of things, she just wanted to remember this. Just one photo, right? Just one. Just for her to see, just for her to remember them by. Because what if Leo decided he didn’t like her and would take Donnie into the sewers forever never to be seen or heard from again?   
All of this would be a dream one day, then.   
Every time she had met Donnie and gone back home to sleep; she had thought she had dreamt it. It didn’t feel real. Even now, here on the rooftop it didn’t feel real.   
  
She really just wanted... Something. Evidence. That they were real. 

Donnie had taken so long to reveal himself; she had shared so much. Not that she shared to expect things in return, but it didn’t feel fair. She didn’t ask for anything, just their friendship. Was ONE photo really such a bad thing? Just one? So the days when they didn’t chat or hang out, she could have this one photo and remember the good times, and the good times to come. 

It wouldn’t be a photo she shared with anyone. She would print it once, hide it under her pillow, delete it from her phone, and that would be it. She would never want something bad to happen to Donnie. He was like the little brother she always wished she had. But when you are family, you have photographs of them, don’t you? 

Just one? 

Just a teensy, tiny, little photograph. 

But then there was that awful other thought too, for her dad’s sake. It was tempting to get a photograph that could maybe save her dad’s whole career. A photo that was clear, not blurry, that had the power to clear her name. No more April O’Weird. 

But why did it matter so much if people thought she was weird? She wasn’t weird, not really. And her father wasn’t a liar, so why did it matter if others thought he was when she knew the truth already? 

No. 

It didn’t matter what other people thought. She had made up her mind! This photo was private. Just for her. Nobody else. She would protect her friends with her life- just... 

Just one photo. 

That was all. 

“Imagine falling from here.” Leo mused. 

“We’d be turtle soup.” 

“Mock turtle soup. Since we’re mutants.” Leo grinned, Donnie let out an annoyed sigh. 

“You had to ruin this.” 

“C’mooooon! That was a good one!” 

“You had to explain it. A good joke doesn’t have to be explained.” 

“It’s still good. Right April?” Leo turned to ask her, because he wanted to include her. He had been a little tense and worried anyone would see them, but nothing bad had happened. She had gotten them up here after all without a hitch. 

He turned but she wasn’t standing next to him like he had thought, turning again he saw her there behind them with a phone. “What are you doing?” 

“Oh- uh.. Taking a picture of the view?” 

“Not with us in frame, right?” 

Donnie could sense the tension and stepped in. “Of course she wouldn’t! She’s my friend- OUR friend. She knows how important our identities are to us Leon. You know, you’ve had a bit of an attitude to her all night, she’s been nothing but pleasant and-” 

"Attitude? What attitude?!" Leonardo looked confused and offended. “Never mind that, she has her PHONE pointed at us Donnie!” 

“Oh, you- Sometimes you can be such a jerk, Leon.” Donnie announced and stormed back to April. “April, you weren’t taking a photo of us, right?” 

April was silent for a heartbeat too long, her expression gave her away more than she wanted it to. “No?” She managed to squeeze out. 

Donnie looked so betrayed. “Were you?” 

“No! No of course not! No!” She hurried. “No, look- I was going to ask you- both of you... If you maybe.... Would be okay with a photograph? Just one.” 

“But April, you know we can’t.” 

“I know, I know. It’s just... I really wanted a photo of my friends.” 

“Me too, but we can’t.” Donnie was stroking his hands. April looked so sad. He really wanted to too, but this was too dangerous. Despite wishing otherwise, Donnie knew their father was right. 

Leo was beside his brother, arms crossed. “Let me see your phone, April.” 

“What?” She squeezed her phone to her chest. 

Leo's voice was calm and gentle. “Let me see.” He held his hand out, but when April looked into his eyes she only felt steel.

“Leon, c’mon. She didn’t take any photos.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure.” He smiled coolly. “So it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

April’s heart sank. She looked at Donnie and by every second that went by that she didn’t give her phone, she could see his heart break a little. His eyes went down to the concrete under their feet. 

“I’m sorry. I will delete it.” She said and began clicking on her phone. 

“Show me.” Leo said, his tone cold. She stood awkwardly next to him and showed him there was just one, kind of blurry, photo of him and Donnie. She deleted it. “Thank you.” 

“I’m really sorry, I was just-” 

“Let’s go home.” Donnie said bitterly. 

Leo quirked a brow at his brother. “We haven’t gotten the ball yet.” 

“I’m sure April can find it.” He started to walk back to the door. Hoodie up. 

Leo looked between April and Donnie. He sighed and went over to where he saw the basketball, picked it up and motioned for April to come with them. She was a bit confused about this, but silently went along anyway. She had thought he was going to give her ball back, but he didn’t. So, it kind of forced her to have to walk along with both of them. 

Donnie stood by the elevator already and the doors opened when they came there. 

Ashamed, April lingered. “I.. I can take the stairs, if you’d give me my ball-” 

“Nah, come in.” Leo ordered. Puzzled and still confused, April stepped in. Donnie didn’t look at her, he looked hurt. Trying his very best to look unaffected by her betrayal. It didn’t work. Just because he tried to look really angry didn’t mask his watery eyes at all. The forced frown was just a silly way to mask list sad pout. 

Leo pressed a button. 

“Hey, pucker up.” Leonardo nudged his brother gently. But Donatello responded by turning his backpack to them both. Leo sighed. 

“I’m really sorry...” April tried again. 

“Yeah well, me too.” Donnie was struggling with that sniffle. 

“She deleted it, Don. I’m sure she won’t do it again-” 

“OH, OKAY.” Donnie turned around hastily. “SO I GUESS IT DIDN’T MATTER THEN?? April! You know how dangerous that is for us!!” 

He pointed at her, gritting teeth. She wasn’t scared, just sorry. Her little bro’s eyes was glassy with tears. He sobbed when he couldn’t hold his emotions anymore. 

“I’m so sorry Donnie, I was just selfish, I-” 

“YEAH! You were! I trusted you!” 

Something in the elevator wobbled and it stopped in-between two floors. 

The three teenagers stared at the walls but nothing else happened. Leo went for the door, trying to pry it open but it wouldn’t budge. And if he couldn’t open it, Donnie surely couldn’t. And April was out of question. 

April tried the open-doors button but, well, this old building was garbage. Old elevators from the 60s had a habit of getting stuck if you moved too much in them. 

“OH, GREAT!” Donnie exclaimed, going through the motions of sadness to anger to fear until he was some blurr of all of them. Not sure which emotion to project anymore. So, he lashed out on the elevator. “Stupid tech-” he kicked the doors. 

“No! No! No!” April and Leo held him to make him stop. The elevator wobbled alarmingly again. None of them were sure if elevators could actually just start dropping you to your death or not like in the movies. So they just sat there in a pile on the floor until everything stopped moving. 

“Donnie!” Leo hissed. 

“OH, it is MY fault now is it?!” 

“Dondon-” 

“Not now April.” Donnie pulled up his knees, face in hands. “Not now.” 

She curled her hand back and hugged her own knees. 

Leo sat in-between them, looking back and forth. Leo watched his brother for a moment, then turned back to April. “I don’t hate you.” He said bluntly, as if he had read her thoughts.

“Uh- you don’t?” 

“No. I don’t. You’re really nice. And I get it. I like selfies too.” Donnie listened to his brother talk. “I take a lot of selfies. I like taking pictures of our dad and my brothers too. I like having the memories of our stupid little adventures together. I get why you wanted one. I also get why you didn’t ask; we would have said no.” 

“Yeah...” She sighed. “Look, I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have. I just- I never had friends before and, I dunno. I know a photo isn’t as great as the real thing, it shouldn’t matter. But I love you Don. It’s no excuse, but I just wanted something to remember you by.” 

“Why? I’m here. We talk every day. You don’t need a photo to REMEMBER me by. You can just text me! Or call me!” 

“Yes, but, what if someday you stopped? What if someday you didn’t reply? How could I ever find you? Maybe someday the only thing I have to remember you by is a photo! None of this seems real to me. I never had a friend this close to my heart before.” 

April inhaled, she looked at her hands in her lap. 

“I just... I didn’t want to forget. I wanted something close, for when you’re not hanging with me or in a call with me. I’m not really all that cool as you think I am, Don. I’m just lonely and weird.” 

Donatello’s anger turned to sympathy. He scooted closer. “April, you’re not...” But his words failed him. He looked up at Leo for help, who scooted closer to her too. 

“Hey.” Leo said and she looked up at him. “You ARE cool. Are you kidding me? You got us up on a ROOF!” He gave her back the basketball to hug. “This night has been awesome! I’ve had so much fun tonight thanks to you.” 

“Really? I thought you hated it..?”

“What? No?” He chuckled. “Sure I’ve been a little worried someone would come and take my brother. But I wasn’t afraid of you. You stare a little, but, I mean...” He gestured to himself and winked. “Who wouldn’t, eh?” 

Donnie scoffed at his stupid brother. And Leo grinned. April smiled. Maybe she had misinterpreted Leo's looks and behaviour.  
Maybe she had just projected her fears onto him this whole time.

“Look, you guys are so obviously great friends. Like all night I’ve been having to deal with you two bouncing like puppies trying to entertain me.” He eyed Donnie. “Yeah, it was pretty obvious.” And before Donnie could blurt out his surprise, Leo continued. “You don’t have to force it, y’know? I like her. I’m an easy guy to please, you know this! I don’t even have a favorite pizza. She had me at LOU-JITSU, are you KIDDING me?? I can’t ask more from a human friend.” He laughed. “That! And she’s really nice to you. You guys seem to have a lot of fun together. I want in on that!” 

April smiled shyly. “I got the impression all night that you didn’t trust me-” She halted herself. “I mean, after the photo I guess you were right in not trusting me.” 

Leo tilted his head and let out a pfft noise. “We all mess up. No friendship is worth keeping if you can't overcome hurdles like this? Right Don?” 

“Right.” He eyed April, giving her a small smile. She smiled back. “Look, April. I get it. I also want a photograph but.. You know?” 

“I know. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me.” 

“I do.” He said and gave her a hug. She hugged him back. 

“Awwww, look at you twooo.” Leo cooed and got a kick from Donnie. But it didn’t stop him. “Best buddieees. Hehe!” 

Donnie opened an arm for Leo to snug in under and join the hug. He hugged them both. 

“Alright nerds!” Leo stood up. “Let’s get out of here!” 

“Right!” April and Donnie stood, ready to do what’s necessary. 

“We can’t press the alarm button.” Donnie pointed out. “We don’t want humans to come here. We’d be trapped.” 

“Good point.” Leo thought for a moment, looking around and up. “In Lou-Jitsu & the Haunted Hotel, he crawls through the elevator ceiling. Can we try that?” 

“Leave that to me!” April sang out and smacked the basketball down so hard that it slammed a ceiling square straight off. 

“Sweet!” Leo beamed. 

Donnie fist-bumped April. “Alright!” 

The trio climbed each other, April on top. She pulled up Donnie and then the two of them pulled up Leo. They weren’t sure where they were supposed to go from there. It’s not like the doors would be more inclined to open because they were here now. And there was no vent they could reach like in the movie. 

Leonardo began to climb the chains and instantly regretted it when that caused the elevator to go down again, but Leo go up. 

April and Donnie flailed their arms in panic, Leo wiggled on the chains. 

“Make it wobble!” April told Donnie and Donatello jumped from where he stood to a corner of the elevator’s roof, making the whole box bonk into the wall and stop again. 

They heard a little ding from up where Leo was, the elevator doors opened for him up there. 

“Leo! Get through and take the stairs!” Donnie shouted. 

“Okay!” Leo swung himself through the doors and disappeared. 

Donnie hopped down into the elevator again and caught April as she hopped down. 

The doors still didn’t open. 

Donnie sighed. “That’s typical.” 

“Hey, Don?” April’s voice was careful. “We’re good, right?” 

“Of course.” He smiled. “You’re my best friend. And... I’m sorry about-” 

“No, Dee. Really, it’s okay.” 

The two friends smiled at one another. 

“I love you too April.” 

“And I love you, you goofy little nerd.” She ruffled him, he swatted her hand away and chuckled. 

Their door dinged. 

Leo stood there pressing the button. Grinning. “You had to open it from the other side!” 

The trio had a quick hug and then ran out of the building, back to the playground. Only then did April remember she forgot the basketball in the elevator. 

Finally at the safety of the playground, the three of them laughed. 

“Well, this has all been fun and dandy, but I think me and Don should head home.” 

“Yeah, we’ve been out long enough.” Donnie agreed. “Besides it’s really late.” 

“Yeah.” April nodded. “Well, I better go home, then.” 

Leonardo stopped her, paused and looked at his purple brother who gave him a confused look. 

“One.” He said, holding up one out of three fingers. 

“One what?” April blinked. 

“One photo. A proper one.” He grinned and Donnie zoomed over. 

“What?! Leo!” He fuzzed. “We can’t!” 

“I know we can’t.” Leo rolled his eyes. “But, this is April.” He gestured at her. “Your best friend and MY friend.” 

April’s heart swelled. 

“You trust her, don’t you dee?” 

“I-I do but... Do... Are you okay with it?” 

“Yeah, ‘cus I trust her too. Besides, if she’s gon’ have a photo of us it better catch my good side.” He posed. “Slightly from the left and just a smidge from above.” He added. 

Donatello scoffed. “You made such a big deal out of it before.” 

Leonardo shrugged. “Things change. I trust her. I like her. Besides, I like selfies... It’ll be nice having someone to share at least ONE selfie with. Y’know? And if we’re ever going to be in a photo, at least it will be for the right reasons.” 

He took out his own phone and flipped it to face-cam. “Alright guys, gather up!” 

Donnie and April cuddled closer, smiling and doing peace signs. Leo poked his tongue out and winked. 

Group selfie. 

“What’s your number?” 

April gave him his number and he sent her the photo. He sent it to Donnie too. Donnie looked at Leo, they both knew that Leo would have to delete his, since Splinter went through his photo album regularly. Donnie would print it and keep a copy secretly for them both to share. 

April smile went from ear to ear. In an explosion of glees, she threw her arms around them both and squeezed. 

“Thank you! This means so much to me!” 

“Yeah yeah,” Leo patted her. “But we trust you, ‘kay? No sharing.” 

“I swear it! Oh, I swear!” 

Donnie playfully nudged Leo. “See? I told you she was cool.” 

Leo blushed. “Only ‘cus she’s MY friend now, too.” 

“I’m your friend now?” April was sparkling. 

“Of course you are!” He sounded insulted. “Why don’t any of you believe me? I told you. You had me at LOU-JITSU FAN. I’ve been excited the whole night!” 

“You’re pretty hard to read sometimes.” Donatello admitted. “I’ve been kinda misreading you all night too.” 

“Well,” Leo huffed. “As my brother, that’s really on you.” 

“Hey! I’m smart, not a mind reader!” 

They walked April back home and disappeared down the sewer hole. 

“Byeee Apriiil!” their voices echoed in the sewer drain. She couldn’t see them but waved nonetheless. She heard their voices laugh and talk in the distance until onky the sound of New York was around her. 

She felt like on air. 

This was the coolest, most amazing thing, that had ever happened to her. 

She climbed up the ladder to her window. She sighed happily, gazing at New york as she scooted in through the window. 

Big sturdy hands grabbed her and pulled her in. 

Suddenly face to face with her father’s worried, tired, face. 

“April O’Neil! Where have you been?!” 

_Ops._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Leo's ambivalence came across more mysterious than jerk-y ;(  
> I think Leonardo's the kind of guy you can't really pin what he thinks of anything until he spells it out to you. I hope that came across and it wasn't too confusing :(


End file.
